The 2024 draft class has now completed over a year and a half of professional baseball. Only two years have passed since this draft took place, yet the first round has plastered baseball headlines all year long. Chase Burns, taken second overall by the Cincinnati Reds, is in the National League Cy Young race this season, and Nick Kurtz has killed American League pitching since being called up. Trey Yesavage only pitched 14 innings in the regular season in 2025, but tore up opponents in the postseason. Other notable players include Jac Caglianone, JJ Wetherholt, and Konnor Griffin.
On to Detroit: the Tigers’ draft outcome has been heavily marred by injuries. This draft was centered around pitching and middle infielders, drafting 14 pitchers, of whom 12 signed, and four shortstops. Six of the pitchers that signed with the Tigers were from high school or junior college. Many of the pitchers selected have caught the injury bug, whereas many of the healthy ones were dealt at the trade deadline in 2025.
Five players were taken by Detroit within the first four rounds, four of them being pitchers, and they have combined to throw a total of 141.1 innings in the Tigers organization. The innings leader, Josh Randall, was traded to Washington during last year’s trade deadline, which just shows how badly the Tigers pitchers have been mangled by injuries.
Bryce Rainer (1st round)
With the No. 11 overall pick, Scott Harris went with his third first-round left-handed high school bat and selected Bryce Rainer. The University of Texas commit signed for $5,797,500, around $85,000 over slot. Rainer sits at the No. 2 spot on the TMLR prospect rankings, behind Max Clark (for now). MLB Pipeline currently has him listed at No. 35 on their Top 100 list. Rainer started his professional career in Lakeland last season and carved up the Florida State League in 35 games, where 28 games were played at shortstop. He triple slashed .288/.383/.448, belting five home runs before undergoing season-ending right shoulder surgery after dislocating it by diving into first base on a pickoff attempt in early June. He returned to Lakeland this spring and hit .167 in eleven games, but a 477-foot home run solidified his call-up to West Michigan. That moonshot became the farthest hit ball in the Statcast era for any player in the Tigers organization, an era that began in 2015. So far in West Michigan in 2026, Rainer has hit nine home runs, swiped 12 bags, and has an OPS of .821. He frequently becomes a pedestrian on the base paths due to a 15.8% walk rate, but his strikeouts are creeping up. His 34.1% strikeout rate is certainly no desire, which may keep him in West Michigan until the conclusion of the season.
Owen Hall (2nd round)
Hall was selected out of Edmond North High School in Oklahoma with the 49th overall pick. He signed for nearly $150,000 under slot value, which is uncommon for prep pitchers, but was enough to forgo his commitment to Vanderbilt. Hall had a 7.00 ERA in nine innings for the Lakeland Flying Tigers last season, but spent most of the season on the shelf due to a right shoulder stress reaction. In 2026, Hall has struggled throwing strikes. In 39.2 innings pitched for the FCL Tigers, 21 batters reached first base via walks. He struck out 42 batters in the Complex League, holding an ERA of 5.90. Hall was awarded FCL pitcher of the week for the last week of June due to tossing five scoreless frames and striking out six batters. He made his first start for Lakeland this season on July 26th, where he allowed six earned runs in 1.1 innings pitched. His fastball averaged 91.8 MPH, a few ticks slower than the mid-90s, where his fastball usually sits. He bounced back in his last start, punching out four batters in two perfect frames. A clean bill of health and more control over the strike zone is what Owen Hall needs to continue his development the rest of this season and into 2027.
Ethan Schiefelbein (2nd round competitive balance B)
The southpaw was drafted out of Corona High School, a new hotspot for young talent. In the last two drafts, Corona High School has produced four first-round draft picks, including brothers Brady and Trey Ebel. To be swayed away from his commitment to UCLA, Schiefelbein signed for around $700,000 over slot. Schiefelbein threw nine innings in the Florida Complex League in 2025, last making a start on May 17th, yet wasn’t placed on the injured list until July 24th. The organization did not disclose his injury, nor did they when he was placed on the full-season injured list in April.
Josh Randall (3rd round)
Although healthy, Randall is no longer a part of the Tigers organization. He was traded to the Washington Nationals along with 10th-round pick R.J. Sales for Kyle Finnegan at the deadline in 2025. Randall, who was drafted out of the University of San Diego, threw 75.1 innings with Lakeland in 2025 and one scoreless, five-inning frame with West Michigan before being shipped off to the Nationals. In 2026, Randall started the year with the Wilmington Blue Rocks of the South Atlantic League, where he had nine starts of 4.40 ERA baseball, striking out 43 batters, then being promoted to Double-A Harrisburg. So far with the Harrisburg Senators, Randall has struck out 59 batters in 56.2 innings, giving up 30 earned runs, which makes his ERA 4.76. At 23-years-old in Double-A, Randall is in a good position to make the big leagues at some point in his career. Although it’s likely he’s simply a lottery ticket.
Michael Massey (4th round)
Massey pitched on the same Wake Forest team that featured current star flamethrower Chase Burns. Mud Hens catcher Bennett Lee caught the right-hander at Tulane his freshman year and at Wake Forest his sophomore season. Unfortunately, the 23-year-old’s success with the Demon Deacons is as far as it gets at the moment. Massey missed all of 2025 and has yet to pitch in 2026 due to UCL issues. There is no timetable listed for his return.
Jack Penney (5th round)
The Tigers drafted left-handed hitting middle infielder Jack Penney out of Notre Dame with their fifth-round selection. Penney was limited to 83 games in 2025 due to a left shoulder subluxation. 71 of those were played with the Whitecaps in High-A. With West Michigan, he hit five home runs and dominated the strike zone, walking in 15% of his plate appearances. Penney’s 2026 was delayed due to a right-hand injury sustained sometime after the Tigers Spring Breakout game. He’s played in 7 games this year, of which six were a part of a rehab stint in the Florida Complex League. He was then transferred to West Michigan, where he played one game and was placed on the full-season injured list due to a left shoulder injury suffered during a diving play in his lone start for the Whitecaps. A strong suit for Penney in the future is his ability to hit to all fields. In 2025, his pull, center, and opposite field hit rates were nearly identical, a great sign to see from a spray hitter.
Woody Hadeen (6th round)
Hadeen signed for $300,000 after spending four years at UC Irvine, although he missed all of 2023 due to back problems. The recently turned 24-year-old is an athletic switch hitter that plays the middle infield and center field. His .697 OPS split between Low-A Lakeland and High-A West Michigan last year has improved to .803 in 48 games with the West Michigan Whitecaps in 2026. Hadeen has yet to hit a home run this year, but has extremely low whiff and chase rates that help him gain free passes.
Jackson Strong (7th round)
Strong was drafted from Canisius University, located in Buffalo, New York. He’s currently going through a minor league sophomore slump following a successful, but lucky season. Strong, who is a left-handed hitter that predominantly plays centerfield, had an .820 OPS with Lakeland in 2025 in 317 plate appearances. Although he batted .277 at the plate, his xBA (expected batting average) was .195, indicating that his batted balls may have gotten a few more bucks for their bargain. Nevertheless, his performance earned Strong a promotion to West Michigan, where he hit four home runs in 23 games. So far in 2026, Strong has triple-slashed .193/.308/.341, having swiped 17 bags and slugging nine home runs. His strikeout numbers aren’t doing him any favors. Right now, Strong is whiffing at a 32.8% clip and making contact on pitches within the strike zone 76.8% of the time. For reference: Woody Hadeen’s contact rate on strikes is 85.03%. To continue a path forward, Strong must cut back on the swing-and-miss.
Ethan Sloan (8th round)
A Division II product, Sloan was selected out of Regis University, a school that has only produced one big leaguer: Steven Brault. The left-hander signed for the lowest slot amount, $27,500. Ethan Sloan’s repertoire consists of a sinker, slider, and changeup. Just like Jackson Strong, Sloan is going through a sophomore slump of his own, but from the pitching rubber. Last season in Lakeland, he held a 3.61 ERA in 47.1 innings pitched in the bullpen. Opponents had an xBA of .209 in 2025. It’s been quite the contrary in 2026. Sloan in West Michigan has a 7.58 ERA and a 1.753 WHIP in 29.2 innings pitched. His H/9 jumped from 7.2 to 11.2 from 2025 to 2026. However, in Sloan’s case, when it rains, it pours. 12 of his 24 outings have been scoreless, all of which were outings of at least three outs or more.
Zach Swanson (9th round)
Swanson was selected out of Toutle Lake High School in Toutle, Washington. As one of two high schoolers selected in the ninth round, Swanson also received the highest signing bonus, nearly $500K over the recommended slot to forgo his commitment to Oregon State. Â The 20-year-old right-handed pitcher missed all of 2025 and three months of 2026 due to right UCL reconstruction. Swanson only pitched three innings in three games for the FCL Tigers, giving up 3 earned runs, walking five batters, and punching out four. Since the conclusion of the Florida Complex League season, Swanson has yet to be promoted to Lakeland to finish out the season.
R.J. Sales (10th round)
As aforementioned, Sales was dealt to Washington along with Josh Randall in the Kyle Finnegan trade. Sales threw 66.1 innings of 2.71 ERA baseball with Lakeland before being shipped off to Low-A Fredericksburg to finish his stellar campaign. The right-hander out of UNC Wilmington threw 28.1 innings with the Fredericksburg Nationals and struck out 29.8% of batters faced. He has yet to throw so far this season in the Nationals organization due to an undisclosed injury.
Micah Ashman (11th round)
Micah Ashman was also traded at the deadline in 2025. He was sent off to the Baltimore Orioles for 18-year MLB veteran Charlie Morton, who was ultimately released with a week left in the season. Standing at 6’7 and throwing left-handed, Ashman’s perceived velocity is much higher than most. The 23-year-old was on a heater with West Michigan last season. He had a 1.65 ERA in 39.1 innings, a K-rate of 30.9%, while holding opposing hitters to a .157 average. This led to a promotion to Erie, where he appeared in two games before being sent to Chesapeake. During spring training, Ashman pitched in two games for Team Canada during the World Baseball Classic, facing Colombia and the United States. Thus far in Double-A Chesapeake, Ashman has struck out 38.2% of batters, bolstering his ERA to 1.93. It’s a mystery as to why Ashman hasn’t been promoted to Triple-A Norfolk yet, but if he keeps performing well, the Orioles will have no choice.
Jude Warwick (12th round)
Scott Harris loves left-handed hitting middle infielders, which is why he selected Michigan State commit Jude Warwick. He broke out in the Complex League in 2025, triple-slashing .262/.414/.379, leading to a promotion to Lakeland at the conclusion of the FCL season. Warwick has split time between second base and shortstop in Low-A in 2026, logging 237 innings at shortstop and 369 at second base. His batting average has dipped in 2026, but his extra-base power has improved. Warwick is hitting .226 with eight home runs, 16 doubles, and three triples. Warwick doesn’t hit the ball terribly hard, but he more so plugs the ball where defenders aren’t.
Lucas Elissalt (13th round)
Elissalt was the first of three players drafted out of JuCo. He attended Chipola College in Marianna, Florida, which has had dozens upon dozens of players drafted over the years. Notable draftees include Russell Martin, José Bautista, and Patrick Corbin. Elissalt has risen up prospect rankings quickly. He had a 2.51 ERA between Lakeland and West Michigan last season. The 22-year-old struck out 100 batters in 89.2 innings pitched and only surrendered four home runs, all of which were in Low-A. Since May 30th, Elissalt has a 1.86 ERA in 38.2 innings, in which opponents have a meager .514 OPS. On the season overall, Elissalt carries a 27.1% swing-and-miss rate and a 9.9% walk rate. The strike-throwing needs improvement, but Elissalt shouldn’t be too far off from Erie.
Preston Howey (14th round)
After spending four years with St. Mary’s in the West Coast Conference, Howey started off his professional career hot. Last season, he tossed 62 innings with the Flying Tigers, punching out 48 batters, and had an impressive 3.19 ERA. It’s been a different story in 2026. Howey missed all of April due to a right hamstring strain and had a rough rehab stint in Lakeland before being sent back up to West Michigan. This season between Low-A and High-A, Howey has thrown 33.1 innings, allowed 45 hits, walked 17 batters, and allowed 31 earned runs. Opposing batters have an 1.011 OPS against the right-hander. Howey’s batted ball profile indicates he may be unlucky, but his lack of strike-throwing is no help.
Zach MacDonald (15th round)
MacDonald, who was born in Portage, Michigan, has had a successful season with Lakeland thus far. The former Miami Redhawk has belted 18 home runs and stolen 25 bases in 26 attempts for the Flying Tigers in 2026. MacDonald has shifted between left, center, and right field all season. His power is nothing but real, possessing a 48.6% hard-hit rate and a barrel rate of 19%, but his high swing-and-miss is worrisome. MacDonald whiffs on 38.2% of swings, but walks in 10.7% of plate appearances to compensate for lost balls in play. His .351 xWOBA is promising, but the biggest step for MacDonald is to cut down on the swing-and-miss.
Anson Seibert (16th round)
Seibert chose not to sign with the Tigers, and instead fulfill his commitment to Johnson County Community College. He was drafted in this year’s draft, in the 20th round by the Washington Nationals, and signed for $150,000.
Gabriel Rosado (17th round)
The left-handed batting catcher was drafted out of the Carlos Beltran Baseball Academy, located in Puerto Rico. Rosado hasn’t seen much action. So far in his professional career, Rosado has only caught in 90.1 innings, and triple-slashed .233/.356/.337 in 104 plate appearances.
Bryce Alewine (18th round)
Another product of a junior college, Alewine has shown glimpses of success in the FCL, but struggles throwing strikes. The tall, right-handed reliever has an ERA of 3.56 in 55.2 innings pitched across two seasons split between Lakeland and the Florida Complex League. Alewine has struck out 40 batters and frequently hands out free passes, a total of 32. He is currently rostered with Low-A Lakeland.
Chase Davis (19th round)
Left-handed pitcher Chase Davis was selected out of Leon High School in Tallahassee, Florida. He chose not to sign with the Tigers, fulfilling his offer with South Alabama. Following one season with the South Alabama Jaguars, Davis transferred to Georgia Southern.
Dawson Price (20th round)Â
Lastly, the Tigers selected Dawson Price out of Eastern Oklahoma State College, a JuCo school that was once home to World Series Champion Jon Gray. Price has not, and will not, appear in 2026. He was placed on the full-season injured list back in April. Last season in the Complex League, Price pitched in 23.1 innings, struck out 19 batters, and walked 14. His injury has not been disclosed.
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Ashley Couturier