Detroit Tigers 2024 MLB Draft Preview

The Detroit Tigers Pick 11th in This Year’s Draft

The 2024 MLB Draft is just one week away, so it’s time to start looking at who the Detroit Tigers might select.

This year’s draft crop is widely considered to be below average. All of the top college pitchers have elevated reliever risk. The high-school class is weak across the board, to the point where we might see the fewest first-round prep players ever. And even the strength of the class, college hitters, is somewhat up for debate because of a bonkers run environment this year (you’ll see what we mean when we show this year’s stats).

But there is talent in every draft class, if your scouts can find it. And the good news for the Detroit Tigers is that the top 10-12 players this year look pretty solid. So, let’s take a look at some of the biggest names to know in the first round. We’ll be rolling out more detailed reports on position groups in the coming days.

Not Gonna Happen

Strange things can happen on draft night, but it would be stunning if any member of this trio fell out of the first five picks. We’d love to include more stats, but they’re all ridiculous, so it doesn’t really matter.

Travis Bazzana is likely just an average defender, but his power, speed, and hitting ability all grade as above-average or plus. Jac Caglianone hit 68 home runs over the past two seasons, walked more than twice as often as he struck out this year, and has touched triple digits from the mound, though he’s expected to give up pitching in pro ball. Charlie Condon set the record for home runs in the BBCOR bat era, and there’s a nonzero chance he can play third base in pro ball.

Potential Fallers?

Perhaps there’s an element of wishful thinking with the first three players on this list. But it wouldn’t be a shock if one of them is still available when the Detroit Tigers pick. Nick Kurtz came into the year as a potential 1-1 option thanks to an excellent track record of hitting ability, patience, and power. But he’s likely a first baseman only, he’s dealt with injuries, and he has a limited track record with wood bats. The switch-hitting Braden Montgomery is a prototypical right-fielder who rarely falls out of the top six in mock drafts, though a late-season ankle injury clouds his future ever so slightly.

There’s a lot of smoke that JJ Wetherholt might actually go first overall and save Cleveland some money. He’s an excellent hitter with a chance to play shortstop, but he has dealt with nagging hamstring injuries for multiple seasons. If he doesn’t go first, he may slide a bit. And Tommy White is a famous name with a ton of college production. But questions about his defensive home and his surgically repaired shoulder will probably cause him to slide toward the back of round one.

Top College Arms

Chase Burns and Hagen Smith are the clear top two arms in the draft, but both still carry question marks. Burns is electric, sitting in the upper-90s with his fastball and throwing a pair of nasty breaking balls. But he has a max-effort delivery and his fastball gets hit more than it should. Smith sits in the mid-90s with his heater and pairs it with a devastating sweeper, all from a funky arm slot. But he already had Tommy John surgery, his split-change lags behind, and there are questions about his durability and command.

Trey Yesavage is generally considered the third best college arm this year. He has a near over-the-top arm slot, reminiscent of Jaden Hamm, with a ton of carry on his fastball and a nasty splitter. But there’s some stiffness to his delivery and he dealt with a collapsed lung this season. Brody Brecht is a terrific athlete with an elite fastball-slider combo, but severe command issues. Jurrangelo Cijntje is a fascinating switch-pitcher, though most think he’ll abandon throwing left-handed in pro ball.

Strong College Performers

This is a fun group, and most of them should still be available when the Detroit Tigers pick. James Tibbs has been getting a lot top-10 buzz thanks to a combination of above-average hitting ability, on-base skills, and power, but he’s probably a left fielder only in pro ball. Christian Moore had a monster season and an epic College World Series, though he may need to move to the outfield.

Cam Smith is a draft-eligible sophomore who was very good in the Cape Cod League last summer, had a strong season with FSU, and should stick at third base. Carson Benge feels a bit like a forgotten man in this year’s draft, but shows solid or better tools across the board. And if things don’t work out at the plate he also has a decent three pitch mix, including a fastball that touches the mid-90s. Ryan Waldschmidt was a big riser during the season thanks to a strong performance and batted-ball data that rivals some of the best hitters in the class.

We have a Cam Smith sighting in Durham.

Smith gets a pitch over the heart of the plate and does not miss it, vaporizing it off the top of the LF wall for a loud double. Mammoth juice in his bat, as the ball left the bat at 113 MPH.

Enjoy the swing, Twitter. pic.twitter.com/tblCAEfBFO

— Tyler Jennings (@TylerJennings24) April 27, 2024

Tooled Up But Raw (TUBR)

These are the players who get you fired. Or win you championships. Konnor Griffin is an absolute tools monster with plus or better raw power, speed, and arm strength. He has gold glove potential in center field, but he might also be able to play pro shortstop. He also might not hit. Vance Honeycutt is a very similar profile to Griffin. He’s a spectacular defender in center field who hit 65 home runs and stole 76 bases in his career at North Carolina. He also batted just .293 with a 26% strikeout rate and troubling contract rates.

Dakota Jordan was a two-sport star who gave up football and has enticing raw tools. He shows huge power potential and plus speed, but he’s raw in every aspect of the game, and he made even less contact than Honeycutt. Seaver King probably doesn’t fit in this category, but we wanted to put him somewhere. He’s a contact specialist with above-average speed, but he doesn’t project for a ton of in-game power, he rarely walks, and his defensive future is a bit undefined.

Catch Me Outside

This years crop of catchers isn’t particularly exciting, though there are some more interesting backstops projected to go later in the draft. Walker Janek had the best overall season and shows solid power to go along with a plus arm. Caleb Lomavita is probably the most physically gifted of this trio, with above-average athleticism, power potential, and arm strength. But he’s hyper aggressive at the plate and ran a walk rate of just 6% in college. Malcolm Moore was a big name in the 2022 draft, but he went to Stanford instead of pro ball. He had a excellent freshman season, and though his numbers were down a bit this year, his underlying data was still strong. But there are real questions if he can stick behind the plate.

They Wouldn’t Take Another High-School Pitcher Would They?

Maybe! The most common name connected with the Detroit Tigers in mock drafts this year has been Arizona prep lefty Cam Caminiti. He’s athletic with easy mid-90s velocity and a sound delivery. He’s young for the class, with room to grow, but scouts wonder if his breaking balls will ever be better than average. That’s not an issue with William Schmidt, a righty from Louisiana with a nasty hammer curve and a mid-90s fastball.

Ryan Sloan may be the most well-rounded of the top prep arms. He’s a sturdy right-hander with a fastball that parks in the mid-90s, and he also shows potential for a plus slider and a plus changeup. Kash Mayfield is a lefty who saw his velocity jump into the mid-90s this spring, and he has an impressive changeup and good feel for a breaking ball. He’s a bit older than some teams like, and his later development means scouts didn’t get a chance to see him face much elite competition. Braylon Doughty is another late riser who shows plus athleticism, a fastball that touches the upper-90s, and two impressive breaking balls.

Can the Detroit Tigers Please Just Draft a Shortstop?

We’re glad you asked. Our next draft preview piece is all about the infielders…