P | Bats/Throws: R/R | 6' 0" 180 lbs | Age: 20
MLB Pipeline Rank
Tigers: No. 12
W L ERA G GS SV IP SO WHIP
2026 0 2 5.68 5 5 0 12.2 19 1.34
Career Minors 8 4 3.51 49 28 0 156.1 197 1.12
G W-L ERA IP SO WHIP
2026 5 0-2 5.68 12.2 19 1.34
Career Minors 49 8-4 3.51 156.1 197 1.12
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Standard Minor League Pitching Statistics

SeasonTmLGLWLERAGGSSVIPHRERHRBBSOWHIP
2023 DSL Tigers 2 DSL ROK 2 0 6.20 14 2 0 24.2 26 20 17 0 12 32 1.54
2024 DSL Tigers 2 DSL ROK 2 2 3.93 12 11 0 50.1 47 31 22 3 18 61 1.29
2025 2 Teams Minors 4 0 1.83 18 10 0 68.2 30 16 14 3 25 85 0.80
2025 FCL Tigers FCL ROK 4 0 1.99 12 8 0 45.1 22 12 10 1 19 53 0.90
2025 Lakeland Flying Tigers FSL A 0 0 1.54 6 2 0 23.1 8 4 4 2 6 32 0.60
2026 Lakeland Flying Tigers FSL A 0 2 5.68 5 5 0 12.2 13 8 8 2 4 19 1.34
Lakeland Flying Tigers FSL A 0 2 3.00 11 7 0 36.0 21 12 12 4 10 51 0.86

Scouting Report

2026

Scouting grades: Fastball: 55 | Slider: 55 | Splitter: 55 | Control: 40 | Overall: 40

Salcedo was arguably the revelation of the Tigers organization on the pitching side with a spectacular stateside debut. Signed for $70,000 out of Venezuela in January 2023, he spent two years in the Dominican Summer League, then dominated the Rookie-level Florida Complex League last summer, racking up more than twice as many strikeouts (53) as hits allowed (22) over 45⅓ innings, including a 10-strikeout gem over five scoreless innings of one-hit ball against the Blue Jays. He jumped to Single-A Lakeland for the stretch run and helped the Flying Tigers win a Florida State League title, not allowing more than one run in six of his seven starts and two hits or fewer in all of them. 

Salcedo has a good fastball and sinker that average around 95 mph and top out at 97-98 but don’t miss many bats. His secondary pitches were the key to his high strikeout rate, including a mid-to-upper-80s slider with sharp movement and a better than 50 percent whiff rate, plus a split change that plays off of it with even better swing-and-miss. His walk rate was a concern in the FCL as well as in the DSL, but he tempered it upon promotion to Single-A. His body has filled out since turning pro, enabling him to maintain his best stuff deeper into games but could lead to delivery issues if he gets too big.

The Tigers need pitching depth in their system to go with their abundance of bats, and Salcedo has a chance to be the next to emerge. He’ll likely return to Lakeland to begin the season but could move to High-A West Michigan if he makes improvements with command while maintaining his high-strikeout arsenal.


2025

Scouting grades: Fastball: 55 | Slider: 60 | Splitter: 45 | Control: 40 | Overall: 40

Salcedo signed with the Tigers for $70,000 out of Venezuela one week before his 17th birthday in January 2023 and has built up his profile over the three seasons since then. He pitched in the Dominican Summer League in his each of his first two seasons, first primarily as a reliever and then as a true starter. He dominated the Florida Complex League this summer in his first stateside campaign, leading the circuit with a 30.8 percent strikeout rate (min. 40 IP) and finished with a 1.99 ERA over 45 1/3 frames. The Tigers sent him to Single-A Lakeland in August.

The 6-foot right-hander has built up nice velocity early in his career, touching 98.5 mph in his full-season debut and typically sitting in the mid-90s all season long. The movement profile and below-average extension cap its stuff models. Salcedo’s upper-80s slider is where his mix gets truly special. The pitch comes with cutter-like velocity and gloveside movement but shows impressive drop and spin that fools batters routinely. There’s some promise in a mid-80s splitter too, but his command of it can be all over the place.

Salcedo is a ground-ball merchant, routinely posting GB rates above 50 percent at each stop. His control numbers have been solid so far, but he relies on batters biting on the diving slider below the zone. There’s a pretty clear road for Salcedo as a hard-throwing reliever with a special secondary, but given he’s still two full seasons away from Rule 5 eligibility, the Tigers ought to see just how far he can take pitching in longer outings.



Awards




Transactions

Team Date Transaction
06/03/2026 Lakeland Flying Tigers placed RHP Kelvis Salcedo on the 7-day injured list.
04/24/2026 Lakeland Flying Tigers activated RHP Kelvis Salcedo from the 7-day injured list.
07/29/2025 RHP Kelvis Salcedo assigned to Lakeland Flying Tigers from FCL Tigers.
05/01/2025 RHP Kelvis Salcedo assigned to FCL Tigers from DSL Tigers 2.
04/29/2025 Lakeland Flying Tigers placed RHP Kelvis Salcedo on the 7-day injured list.
06/01/2024 RHP Kelvis Salcedo assigned to DSL Tigers 1 from DSL Tigers 2.
06/04/2023 RHP Kelvis Salcedo assigned to DSL Tigers 2.
01/15/2023 Detroit Tigers signed free agent RHP Kelvis Salcedo to a minor league contract.