The Tigers don’t have any position players ready to breakthrough in the majors this year, but they do have seven pitchers to help out at the back end of the starting rotation and the bullpen. Here is a look at them:

Jacob Turner: 20-year old righty starting pitcher Jacob Turner comes into this season as the Tigers’ #1 prospect according to Baseball America. Turner pitched in 3 games (all starts) for the Tigers last year and he was 0-1 with a 8.53 ERA and a 1.66 WHIP. Turner also pitched in 20 games (all starts) in AA+AAA-ball last year in which he was 4-5 with a 3.44 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP. He has now pitched in 44 games (43 starts) in his first two years in the minors and he is 10-10 with a 3.36 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP. A dead arm in spring training hurt any chance of him winning the #5 job in the Tigers’ starting rotation. That being said, he could help the Tigers at some point in 2012.

Drew Smyly: 22-year old lefty starting pitcher Drew Smyly comes into this season as the Tigers’ #3 prospect according to Baseball America. Smyly pitched in 22 games (21 starts) in A+AA-ball last year and he was 11-6 with a 2.07 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP in his first season in professional baseball. He only gave up 103 hits and 36 walks in his first 126 innings in the minors and he whiffed 130 batters, and those are impressive numbers. Smyly has won the Tigers’ #5 job in the starting rotation…..how long he keeps it will be up to him.

Andy Oliver: 24-year old lefty starting pitcher Andy Oliver comes into this season as the Tigers’ #5 prospect according to Baseball America. Oliver pitched in 2 games (all starts) for the Tigers last year and he was 0-1 with a 6.52 ERA and a 1.97 WHIP. He has now pitched in 7 games (all starts) in his first two years with the Tigers and he is 0-5 with a 7.11 ERA and a 1.83 WHIP. Oliver also pitched in 26 games (all starts) in AAA-ball last year and he was 8-12 with a 4.71 ERA and a 1.56 WHIP. He has now pitched in 49 games (all starts) in his first two years in the minors and he is 17-20 with a 4.12 ERA and a 1.43 WHIP. The Tigers rushed Oliver the last couple of years, so they are likely to look at other pitchers before him in 2012.

Duane Below: 26-year old lefty reliever/starter Duane Below comes into this season as the Tigers’ #21 prospect according to Baseball America. Below pitched in 14 games (2 starts) for the Tigers last year and he was 0-2 with a 4.34 ERA and a 1.35 WHIP. He also pitched in 18 games (all starts) in AAA-ball last year in which he was 9-4 with a 3.13 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP. Below has now pitched in 124 games (112 starts) in his first six years in the minors and he is 41-32 with a 3.66 ERA and a 1.35 WHIP. Below lost out on the #5 spot in the Tigers’ opening day starting rotation, but he could help them out of the pen in 2012.

Luis Marte: 25-year old righty reliever Luis Marte comes into this year as the Tigers’ #23 prospect according to Baseball America. He pitched in 4 games (0 starts) for the Tigers last year and he was 1-0 with a 2.45 ERA and a 1.91 WHIP. He also pitched in 25 games (1 start) in AA+AAA-ball last year and he was 4-0 with 3 saves, a 1.92 ERA and a 0.96 WHIP. Marte has now pitched in 129 games (50 starts) in his first six years in the minors and he is 29-19 with 13 saves, a 3.19 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP. Marte has won a spot in the Tigers’ opening day bullpen, and it will be up to him to keep it.

Brayan Villarreal: 24-year old righty reliever Bryan Villarreal comes into this season as the Tigers’ #15 prospect. He pitched in 16 games (0 starts) for the Tigers last year and he was 1-1 with a 6.75 ERA and a 1.94 WHIP. He also pitched in 17 games (10 starts) in AAA-ball last year and he was 3-5 with a 5.05 ERA and a 1.42 WHIP. He has now pitched in 94 games (63 starts) in his first six years in the minors and he is 16-26 with 2 saves, a 3.77 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP. Villarreal could help the Tigers out of the bullpen at some point in 2012.

Adam Wilk: 24-year old lefty reliever/starter Adam Wilk comes into this season as the Tigers’ #22 prospect according to Baseball America. Wilk pitched in 5 games (0 starts) for the Tigers last year and he was 0-0 with a 5.40 ERA and a 1.28 WHIP. He also pitched in 18 games (all starts) in AAA-ball last year and he was 8-6 with a 3.24 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP. He has now pitched in 59 games (all starts) in his first three years in the minors and he is 23-12 with a 2.62 ERA and a 1.02 WHIP. Wilk could help the Tigers as a starter or reliever at some point in 2012.

24-year old lefty reliever Zach Samuels has really been outstanding in the minors this year for the Tigers. He has pitched in 31 games (1 start) in A+AA-ball so far this year and he is 1-2 with 2 saves, a 1.91 ERA and a 0.97 WHIP. Samuels has now pitched in 71 games (11 starts) in his first three years in the minors and he is 7-5 with 5 saves, a 2.52 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP. Coming into this season, Samuels wasn’t a highly thought of prospect, but, it’s starting to get really hard to ignore the numbers he’s putting up in the minors.

35-year old switch-hitting 2B Carlos Guillen is off to a very slow start on his rehab assignment. He has played in 9 games in A+AAA-ball so far this year and he is 6 for 32 (.188 avg, .610 OPS) with 3 runs scored, 1 homer and 6 RBIs. The Tigers need help at 2B, but they can’t rush Guillen back into action or he could hurt himself again. Guillen has played in 789 games in his 7 years with the Tigers and he is 870 for 2,913 (.299 avg, .849 OPS) with 461 runs scored, 92 homers, 436 RBIs and 58 stolen bases. The Tigers could really use Guillen’s bat right now but they will have to wait a little bit longer.

26-year old lefty swinging 2B Justin Henry is having a good year in the minors for the Tigers. Henry has played in 68 games in AA-ball so far this year and he is 66 for 217 (.304 avg, .799 OPS) with 36 runs scored, 0 homers, 22 RBIs and 14 stolen bases. He has walked 37 times this year while only whiffing 28 times, so he has a good eye. Henry has now played in 482 games in his first five years in the minors and he is 494 for 1,722 (.287 avg, .723 OPS) with 261 runs scored, 3 homers, 171 RBIs and 95 stolen bases. Henry doesn’t have much pop in his bat but his speed is a huge asset that could get him to the majors someday down the road.

The Detroit Tigers picked 22-year old righty reliever Chance Ruffin with the 48th overall pick (1st round) of the 2010 MLB Amateur Draft. Ruffin didn’t get to pitch last year in the minors but he seems to be on the fast track to Detroit. Ruffin has pitched in 30 games (0 starts) for the Tigers in AA-ball this year and he is 3-3 with 9 saves, a 2.18 ERA and a 1.12 WHIP. Ruffin has only allowed 21 hits in 33 innings in the minors so far this year with 41 whiffs, which shows just how nasty he has been. But, he has had some issues with his control as Ruffin has walked 16 batters already this year. Ruffin came into this year as the Tigers’ #7 prospect according to Baseball America and he’s showing why he was ranked that high in the minors this year. He could make his debut with the Tigers this September when rosters expand as long as he keeps pitching like he is right now.