On the night former Tigers broadcaster Rod Allen was back at Comerica Park as a member of the Miami Marlins TV team, let’s hand out a “Country Strong” award, shall we?
And the winner is … Bryce Rainer.
Rainer, a top Tigers prospect who is playing for the Low-A Lakeland Flying Tigers, hit his first home run of 2026 on Friday night, and, man, was it an eye-catcher. In the third inning of Lakeland’s home game against Daytona at Joker Marchant Stadium, Rainer absolutely teed off for a long homer to dead center field.
The home run cleared the batter’s eye in center field, and it was measured at 477 feet. For perspective, the longest home run in the major leagues this season traveled 462 feet, by Houston’s Cam Smith. The longest home run by a Tiger this season was measured at 433 feet, by Dillon Dingler.
Rainer’s home run Friday came off Cincinnati Reds right-handed pitching prospect Edgar Colon, who allowed just one hit through six innings. That one hit was Rainer’s moon shot.
Rainer, 20, the No. 11 overall pick by the Tigers in 2024 out of Harvard-Westlake High School in California, made his professional debut in 2025, with five home runs in 35 games for Lakeland before his season was cut short (dislocated shoulder) by season-ending surgery in June.
Rainer was playing in his fifth game of the season Friday night. He had two hits in 14 at-bats entering the game.
Rainer is ranked the No. 3 prospect in the Tigers system by MLB Pipeline, behind No. 1 Kevin McGonigle, an infielder who is starting daily with the Tigers, and outfielder Max Clark, who is at Triple-A Toledo.
tpaul@detroitnews.com
@tonypaul1984
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Tigers prospect hit a home run how far? Watch Bryce Rainer’s blast
Reporting by Tony Paul, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
