Brayan Villarreal

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Detroit Tigers #15 prospect in 2012
  Villarreal made just one start in his 2007 U.S. debut before he needed Tommy John surgery. He got back to full strength by 2009, and two years later he made the Tigers' Opening Day roster as a reliever. He struggled with Detroit and didn't have much more success when he was demoted in May. Despite a down 2011, Villarreal has a quick arm that produces plenty of velocity. He sits at 90-95 mph with his fastball as a starter, and operates at 93-95 mph when he comes out of the bullpen. He uses both two- and four-seamers, and he gets cutting action at times when he overthrows and gets around the ball. Villarreal also throws a power slider at 86-88 mph, though it has a tendency to break too early, allowing hitters to pick it up. His changeup is a below-average pitch that he rarely uses as a reliever. Whatever his future role, his command will have to improve. His most likely path back to the big leagues is through the bullpen.
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  Ranked Detroit Tigers #18 prospect in 2011
  Villarreal became a full-time starter in 2011 and put together a strong season, pitching well throughout and finishing in Double-A. He has bounced back from Tommy John surgery in 2007 and claimed a spot on Detroit's 40-man roster in November. Villarreal isn't big, but he has wiry strength to his frame and good arm speed. While he didn't reach the mid-90s as often as he did in 2009, he pitched at 90-94 mph with his fastball last season. His fastball is mostly straight, so he can get hit when he doesn't keep it down in the strike zone. His slider shows flashes of becoming an above-average offering but often breaks too early, making it easy for the hitters to see out of his hand. He gained more confidence in his changeup in 2010, but it too can be simple to spot. Villarreal pitches with good tempo and shows strong mound presence. The Tigers want him to trust his defenders more instead of trying to strike everyone out. Detroit will continue to start Villarreal so he can get innings to sharpen his secondary pitches but his future role is likely in the bullpen. He'll probably open 2011 back in Erie.
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  Ranked Detroit Tigers #18 prospect in 2010
  Villarreal was an overlooked arm in his first few years in the system, and shoulder surgery didn't help his cause. After putting together an impressive 2009 season in low Class A, he finally started to get noticed. He began the year in the West Michigan bullpen before moving to the rotation for the second half of the season and finishing with numbers similar to Casey Crosby's. Villarreal doesn't quite have Crosby's stuff, but it's still very good. He throws a 93-94 mph fastball that he can locate to all quadrants of the strike zone, and he can pump it up to 97 on occasion. His slider is the best in the system, and he's working to hone a changeup. Villarreal pitches with good tempo, remains under control and has an authoritative presence on the mound. He profiles better as a reliever in the long run, but will continue getting starts and logging innings to help develop his pitches. He's slotted to spend all of 2010 in high Class A.