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Tigers in AFL: Stewart capping off successful first year
- Updated: November 1, 2016
Two things seem certain about Tigers outfield prospect Christin Stewart: He has a ton of power and he can keep a secret.
Back in June, Stewart was having a fine first full season as a pro after the Tigers took him the first round of the 2015 Draft when he got a phone call from the front office telling him to prepare for a trip to San Diego. He would be representing the organization in the Sirius XM All-Star Futures Game in July, but he couldn’t share the news right away.
“I was on the bus going to a road game, then [Tigers farm director] Dave Owen called me and told me,” Stewart said. “I was ecstatic. I was so pumped, but it didn’t come out publicly for a little while, so I had to keep it to myself.”
He didn’t have to be as secretive when he found out he’d be playing in the Arizona Fall League. Even after 128 games and 443 at-bats, reaching Double-A in his first full season, the Tigers’ No. 3 prospect was nearly as excited about being informed of that news as he was about the Futures Game.
“I was like, ‘Wow, this is pretty awesome!’ when I got that call,” Stewart said. “This is the spot to be for up-and-coming prospects. Being here is a blessing, being able to compete with these guys. Coming out here every day and learning from teammates who have had success in the Minor Leagues, some of them have big league time … feeding off of them and learning from them is awesome.”
They can likely learn from him as well, at the very least about power. Stewart hit 30 home runs combined in 2016, leading the Tigers organization and tying him for fifth among all Minor League sluggers. His .517 slugging percentage also topped his system, and while he did strike out 131 times, his 86 walks led to an impressive .386 on-base percentage.
“It was a great experience,” Stewart said of his first full season. “I loved it. Great teammates, I had fun playing with the guys.”
Most of that experience came in the Class A Advanced Florida State League, typically known as a …
