Detroit Tigers Draft Possibilities
The 2026 MLB Draft takes place in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on July 11-12. It’s a two-day, 20-round event set right in the middle of Major League Baseball’s All-Star game festivities.
It’s no secret what teams favor at the top of the draft: Big, strong, athletic, left-handed hitting up-the-middle players with loud tools – feel to hit, plate discipline, power, defense, range, and a live arm. And for pitchers – big, strong, athletic starting pitchers who throw strikes and pound the zone with filthy, deceptive, well-shaped stuff.
However, every team is at the mercy of what is available. And almost every player has hickeys when you get past the top few picks. It’s about figuring out who is worth the risk, and who has the most potential to create major league value for the organization.
The Detroit Tigers have a recent history of liking prep bats with their first couple picks under scouting director Mark Conner. Their first two picks in 2025 were both left-handed hitting, up-the-middle players: Jordan Yost out of Sickles High School in Florida (Round 1, pick 24), and Michael Oliveto out of Hauppauge High School in New York (Round CB-A, pick 34).
In 2024, they selected Bryce Rainer out of Harvard-Westlake high school in California (Round 1, pick 11) and Owen Hall out of Edmond North High School in Oklahoma (Round 2, pick 49). In 2023, Max Clark (Round 1, pick 3) and Kevin McGonigle (Round CB-A, pick 37) were their first two picks. Noticing a pattern?
They also seem to like to collect college arms with the following few picks. Alas, past patterns are not always indicative of what the future will bring. Perhaps the pick comes down to a high-floor player and a high-ceiling player and the team must choose what they’d rather have. Chris dug into the recent Tigers drafts in more detail here.
The Tigers have a total bonus pool of $9,165,100 and hold picks 22, 61, and 69 in this year’s draft with slot values as follows:
22 (First round): $4,082,700
61 (Second round): $1,523,600
69 (Competitive Balance round B): $1,254,200
They are allowed to allocate their money as they see fit by giving players above or below slot value. So far Rogelio has looked at some of this year’s pitching and catching prospects, and Jerry checked in with his favorite JuCo names.
Though no one knows what the Tigers have in mind besides their front office, it’s fun to make somewhat educated speculations. For the second year in a row, I have compiled a list of players who may match the Tigers’ criteria for their first few picks.
Logan Schmidt
Draft Age: 17
School/Commit: Ganesha (CA)/Louisiana State University
Position: LHP
Bat/Throw: L/L
Height/Weight: 6’4”/210
A left-handed prep arm, Logan Schmidt shows tremendous upside. He shapes three pitches — a fastball, curveball, and changeup mix. The fastball has touched 98 and sits mid 90s with life. He commands the fastball around the zone well. The breaking ball is slurvy and sits about 80 mph. His mid-to-upper 80s changeup is his weapon against right-handed hitters and flashes plus. His feel to pitch works as he is able to command the fastball so well it allows him to set up his secondary offerings. He throws from a 3/4 arm slot with a delivery that is fluid and repeatable, allowing him to pound the zone with strikes. Combined with a big, strong frame it is easy to project him fitting in the middle of someone’s rotation in the future.
Tyler Spangler
Draft Age: 18
School/Commit: De La Salle (CA), Stanford
Position: SS
Bat/Throw: L/R
Height/Weight: 6’3”, 195
Going into his 2026 season, Tyler Spangler was regarded as a top 10 pick by scouts before he was sidelined with a back injury. He is a big, strong, left-handed hitting shortstop who has a future on the left side of the dirt. He has long limbs and very obvious strength. His swing looks like one that will play in pro ball, and he put up impressive exit velocities in the draft combine, maxing out at 111.4 MPH. In the summer of 2025 there was some concern surrounding his ground ball rates, but he appears to have made an adjustment by dropping his back shoulder to lift the ball more. Defensively he will be given every opportunity to stick at short, where he has a plus arm and above average defense thanks to good actions and instincts. There is a possibility he ends up at the hot corner as well.
Aiden Ruiz
Draft Age: 19
School/Commit: The Stony Brook (NY)/Vanderbilt
Position: SS
Bat/Throw: S/R
Height/Weight: 5’10”, 160
Aiden Ruiz is a slam-dunk shortstop who is quick and light on his feet, with soft hands and a quick release. Combined with his instincts, plus range, and plus arm he makes for a double-plus defender at short, often deemed the best defensive shortstop in the 2026 class. He is a polished player who is nearing his ceiling at 19 years old. He hits from both sides of the plate, takes his walks, and doesn’t swing and miss a whole lot. The question mark surrounding Ruiz is how he will get creative to tap into his power. It will more than likely manifest in extra base hits instead of over-the-fence power supplemented by speed.
Logan Reddemann
Draft Age: 21
School/Commit: UCLA
Position: RHP
Bat/Throw: R/R
Height/Weight: 6’2”/185
You probably recognize Logan Reddemann as the Friday night starter for the 2026 UCLA Bruins. He had a dominant season in which he posted a 2.87 ERA and 84 strikeouts in 59.2 innings pitched. Also impressive was his 4.7% walk rate. However, he stopped pitching after April 17 due to arm fatigue. His unique delivery creates plenty of deception, beginning with a full overhead windup. He has excellent feel for strike-throwing. His fastball has touched 99 but generally sits mid 90s with carry, and he’s able to work all quadrants of the zone with it although it plays best up top.
His best secondary is his low-spin changeup that sits mid 80s he weaponizes against both left and right-handed hitters. His breaking pitches include an upper 80s cutter/hard slider, a sweeping slider, and a low 80s curveball. Although the breaking stuff is average, his advanced command and control make for plus pitchability. He is a very polished arm that is close to a finished product — the only concern being his bill of health. If everything checks out, seeing him go in the first round wouldn’t be surprising.
Ben Blair
Draft Age: 21
School/Commit: Liberty University
Position: RHP
Bat/Throw: R/R
Height/Weight: 6’3”/200
Ben Blair has been dominating on the mound for Liberty University (A mid-major in Virginia) since 2024 where he has been a starting pitcher for two out of the three years — all of which he posted an ERA in the 3s. He finished his 2026 season with a 3.91 ERA and 113 strikeouts in 94.1 IP — and a 4.3% walk rate. His funky, up-tempo delivery begins with a small step back and a high windup into a high leg kick as his arm hooks out front and is medium out back leading into an arm angle that is a tic higher than sidearm. The arm itself is easy, and the delivery is repeatable which allows him to throw consistent strikes — and believe me, his delivery looks as unique and fun as it sounds.
As for his fastball, it sits mid 90s but has touched 98. Although it doesn’t get an overwhelming amount of swing-and-miss, it gets him plenty of ground balls. His breaking offerings include a low 80s slider with sweeping action, and a faster offering that is more of a cutter, both of which flash plus and get plenty of swing-and-miss. He has a fringy, mid 80s changeup in his back pocket, but rarely flashes it. Overall, he looks like he is a very uncomfortable at-bat for the hitter and he has shown the ability to post and be consistent for three straight years at Liberty University.
Carson Bolemon
Draft Age: 19
School/Commit: Southside Christian (SC)/Wake Forest
Position: LHP
Bat/Throw: R/L
Height/Weight: 6’4”, 215
Carson Bolemon is one of the most advanced prep arms in the 2026 draft class – he’s been a part of his varsity baseball team since eighth grade. He shapes four pitches with ease. His fastball has touched 96 and sits in the low to mid 90s, and he possesses two of the best breaking balls in the entire class — both of which he spins over 3000 RPM (and commands). He throws a changeup as well which he executes against right-handed hitters. Boleman had a slow spring this year, but eventually kicked it into high gear. He throws plenty of strikes and spins the bejeezus out of the ball. The only downside to Bolemon is that at 19 he’s already had internal brace surgery on his elbow.
Jensen Hirschkorn
Draft Age: 18
School/Commit: Kingsburg (CA)/Louisiana State University
Position: RHP
Bat/Throw: L/R
Height/Weight: 6’7”/205
Jensen Hirschkorn is a towering 6’7”, athletic, right-handed prep arm hailing from Northern California. He steps back into a high leg kick into a 3/4 arm slot. His arm is easy with present speed, and his delivery is smooth with great body control. A multi-sport athlete, it is no surprise he is able to control his body and repeat his delivery the way he does. His arsenal is a three-pitch mix: Fastball, slider, changeup. The fastball has touched 96 and sits 93, and he can carry it at the top of the zone or sink it.
His slider is low 80s with a 10-4 shape and bite, inducing plenty of swing-and-miss, an easy plus pitch. The changeup flashes above average, an upper-80s offering that gets left-handed hitters to swing and miss. His frame is XL, young, lean, and projectable so it isn’t crazy to expect that with added strength he will be able to throw at a higher velocity consistently and with ease — along with maintaining the above-average strike throwing ability.
Bo Lowrance
Draft Age: 18
School/Commit: Christ Church Episcopal (SC)/Virginia
Position: 3B
Bat/Throw: L/R
Height/Weight: 6’5”, 200
Bo Lowrance is a power-over-hit left-handed hitting third baseman. His lofty swing and plus raw power is still projectable, and has shown the ability to make contact to all fields and understands the strike zone, giving him an average hit tool. Lowrance’s 90th-percentile exit velocity at the draft combine was 103 MPH. His speed is fringe, but he is quick on his feet at third base and has above-average arm strength that should give him every opportunity to stick at the hot corner.
Cole Prosek
Draft Age: 19
School/Commit: Magnolia Heights (MS)/Mississippi
Position: 3B/C
Bat/Throw: L/R
Height/Weight: 6’1”, 195
Cole Prosek has both feel to hit and above average power, making him one of the most advanced prep bats in the class. He put up impressive numbers over the summer in 2025, hitting for average and slugging. Prosek has a simple, balanced left-handed swing. He does have a history of expanding the zone, but has also produced wherever he’s been. He is a below average runner and not quick on his feet, but has the an above-average arm to move to third base if needed. Prosek also looks comfortable behind the plate and has a chance at catching in pro ball with some development help.
Archer Horn
Draft Age: 18
School/Commit: St. Ignatius (CA)/Stanford
Position: SS
Bat/Throw: L/R
Height/Weight: 6’2”, 205
Archer Horn is a toolsy left-handed hitting shortstop who is committed to Stanford. Most likely either he or Tyler Spangler will sign as both are Stanford commits who play shortstop. His bat is regarded as average with bat speed and barrel control. He has shown a good approach at the plate and the ability to use all fields. His lean frame leaves room for projection and hopes of added impact as he continues to get stronger. He produced exit velocities of 110 MPH at the draft combine, flashing plus raw power. Horn will be given every opportunity to stick at shortstop and will undoubtedly stay on the left side of the dirt. He is an average runner speed wise, but is a multi-sport, above-average athlete. He flashes a plus arm that plays well on the left side of the infield along with solid actions and hands — an average, functional defender.
Connor Comeau
Draft Age: 17
School/Commit: Anderson (TX)/Texas A&M
Position: SS/3B
Bat/Throw: L/R
Height/Weight: 6’4”/180
One of the youngest hitters in the 2026 draft class, Connor Comeau has hit everywhere he’s been. He has present bat speed and knows the strike zone well, using the entire field. Body wise, there is still room for projection, showing potential for plus or better raw power. Although he plays SS for his high school, he lacks the quickness on his feet to stick at the position. His above-average arm, however, should be a fit for third base.
Tyson LeBlanc
Draft Age: 21
School/Commit: Kansas
Position: SS
Bat/Throw: R/R
Height/Weight: 6’0”/200
Tyson LeBlanc was a junior college transfer to University of Kansas for the 2026 season, where he slashed .341/425/.706 in the 2026 season with 25 home runs and 12 doubles. He walked 12% of the time, and struck out 16%. The bat plays average, and the under-the-hood numbers check out. He featured a 10% in-zone miss rate and a 16% overall miss rate. His chase numbers were high however, and the culprit seems to be breaking balls. He flashed exit velocities up to 104 MPH at the draft combine, the slug flashing average as well.
He features average run times and has instincts on the bases, swiping 11 stolen bases throughout his 2026 season while only getting caught once. There are some questions surrounding his ability to stick at shortstop — he will more than likely be given the opportunity, but his actions and hands say he may be better suited for second or third base. His plus arm is the best of his well-rounded tools.
Elliot Lascelles
Draft Age: 18
School/Commit: Upper Canada College HS/Yale
Position: SS
Bat/Throw: L/R
Height/Weight: 6’2”/190
Two things about Elliot Lascelles: He hails from Canada and he rakes. He is a left-handed hitting prep shortstop with feel to hit and squeaky-clean under-the-hood numbers that make up his elite plate discipline. He raised eyebrows in spring ball in Arizona where he performed well against the best competition. For Lascelles, the power is a question. His max exit velocity is around 103 MPH, indicating fringe future slug that will mostly come from extra base hits rather than over-the-fence power. He is an above-average runner who does have the ability and instincts to steal bases. Lascelles is a fluid mover and shows quickness with his first step at shortstop, along with an average arm. He will most likely be given every opportunity to prove himself at shortstop, but may be better suited for a future at second base.
Trey Ebel
Draft Age: 17
School/Commit: Corona/Texas A&M
Position: SS
Bat/Throw: R/R
Height/Weight: 6’0”/180
Trey Ebel comes from a baseball bloodline and grew up around the game. If the last name sounds familiar, it’s because his brother Brady just got drafted by the Brewers 32nd overall in 2025, and his dad is the third-base coach for the Dodgers. Trey has the highest floor out of any other 17 year old in the 2026 draft. He has present bat speed and an advanced approach at the plate, running excellent rates and rarely expanding the zone, along with a history of walking more than he strikes out. He has shown above average raw power, featuring a 90th percentile exit velocity of 104 MPH at the draft combine. In the past he’s hit a max exit velocity of 110 MPH. A below average runner and fringe athlete, he will more than likely end up sliding over to second base, where his good hands and above-average arm would probably profile as above-average defense there.
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