Tigers Seek To Keep Josue Briceño Relevant At Two Positions
When the Tigers front office discussed who to send to the 2024 Arizona Fall League, Josue Briceño was not initially very high on the list.
Their hesitation stemmed from Briceño’s limited exposure at Low-A Lakeland because of a sprained posterior cruciate ligament in his knee he sustained while catching during a game on May 12.
The injury put Briceño out of commission until Aug. 23.
“Given his limited at-bats in Low-A, we had a lot of discussions about sending Josue to the AFL at all,” Tigers vice president and assistant GM Ryan Garko said.
The Tigers’ decision to send Briceño out west would pay dividends.
“His performance across the board offensively made us very happy we decided to send him,” Garko said. “He controlled the zone, he hit, and he hit the ball very, very hard.”
The 20-year-old won the first triple crown in AFL history, batting .433 with 10 home runs and 27 RBIs in 25 games, and was named league MVP. He played first base exclusively.
“The AFL was spectacular,” Briceño said. “I had a great time. It was a new experience, but I really liked it. Upon returning from Arizona, I didn’t have much time to work in the regular offseason, so I focused more on getting a little stronger in the gym, and on the things I was lacking in.”
The Tigers now must determine his defensive home. Briceño did extensive work with catching coordinator Brayan Peña.
“We value versatility across our entire system, and Josue is no different,” Garko said. “The Fall League gave us the opportunity to let him work exclusively as a first baseman and it was very productive. He showed soft hands and good range and a natural ability to work around the bag.
“We will now have him return to his natural position behind the plate, while spending games at first base to keep his bat in the line up regularly.”
