Homer streak on the line, Tigers prospect gets Barry Bonds treatment

Bryce Rainer, a 21-year-old prospect for the Detroit Tigers, experienced a historic home-run streak that came to an end on Friday, Aug. 21 in South Bend, Indiana. Rainer had hit a home run in each of his previous five games, but his streak ended when he walked in the ninth inning of the Whitecaps' 7-5 loss.

Despite missing several opportunities to extend his record, Rainer finished the game with a single and three walks. The streak had started on Friday, Aug. 14 at LMCU Ballpark in Comstock Park, where he homered against Lansing. He continued the streak the following day and then again the next day. After a day off, he extended it to four straight games, ultimately surpassing the franchise record.

Rainer, who has 15 home runs on the season and an .866 OPS, has been a formidable opponent for High-A West Michigan, tying the record for most consecutive home runs in a single season. Before this streak, his longest run of home runs in a row was two, achieved twice in his professional career. He was a first-round draft pick in 2024 (No. 11 overall) and serves as the Tigers' third prospect according to MLB Pipeline.

Rainer began his season at Low-A Lakeland before being called up to West Michigan in April. It remains to be seen if he will make the jump to Double-A Erie in 2026, as his season might be too far along.