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Breaking down Detroit Tigers picks in Rounds 3-10 of MLB draft in 2024
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- Breaking down Detroit Tigers picks in Rounds 3-10 of MLB draft in 2024
The Detroit Tigers made eight selections in Rounds 3-10 on Monday in the 2024 MLB draft, completing 10 of the 20 rounds.
On Day 1 of the draft Sunday, the Tigers made three picks: high school shortstop Bryce Rainer in Round 1 (No. 11 overall), high school right-hander Owen Hall in Round 2 (No. 49 overall) and high school left-hander Ethan Schiefelbein in Competitive Balance Round B (No. 72 overall).
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"We were excited with how the day went," assistant general manager Rob Metzler said. "We added some starting pitching prospects at the start of the day with good size, good movers, good pitch mixes that we were excited about. We followed it up with a couple of good infielders, middle of the diamond players, with approaches that fit what we're looking for. Process-wise, and results, we thought it was a very positive outcome."
Rounds 11-20 begin at 2 p.m. Tuesday.
The Tigers' first selection Monday was No. 85 overall in the third round, followed by No. 114 overall in the fourth round, No. 147 overall in the fifth round, No. 176 overall in the sixth round, No. 206 overall in the seventh round, No. 236 overall in the eighth round, No. 266 in the ninth round and No. 296 in the 10th round.
FIRST CHOICE: Tigers select high school shortstop Bryce Rainer with No. 11 pick in 2024 MLB draft
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Meet the newest Tigers, with evaluations from Tigers scouting director Mark Conner:
San Diego RHP Josh Randall
San Diego pitcher Josh Randall pitches during the first inning of an NCAA Baseball Santa Barbara Regional between San Diego and Oregon at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium, May 31, 2024 in Santa Barbara, Calif.
Age:21.
Vitals:6 feet 4, 240 pounds.
Bats/throws:Right/right.
Drafted:Third round (No. 85 overall).
The buzz:Randall transitioned from catcher to pitcher after high school, and in college, he worked out of the bullpen for Arizona in 2022 and 2023. Everything changed when he transferred to San Diego for the 2024 season. At San Diego, Randall entered the starting rotation and thrived, posting a 3.73 ERA with 27 walks and 84 strikeouts across 72⅓ innings in 14 starts. He is a sinker-slider pitcher who throws from close to a sidearm slot. He throws four pitches: sinker, slider, changeup and four-seam fastball. His sinker has reached 98 mph and generates ground balls, while his slider misses bats. Randall throws enough strikes to develop as a starter, but his sinker-slider profile could push him to a high-leverage reliever role in the future.
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Wake Forest RHP Michael Massey
Wake Forest pitcher Michael Massey starts the 12th inning against North Carolina during the ACC Baseball Tournament at Truist Field in Charlotte, North Carolina on May 24, 2024.
Age:21.
Vitals:6-5, 230.
Bats/throws:Right/right.
Drafted:Fourth round (No. 114 overall).
The buzz:Massey pitched for Tulane in 2022, then he transferred to Wake Forest for the 2023 and 2024 seasons. He dominated as one of the best relievers at the college level in 2023, but he wasn't as sharp as a starter in 2024. Massey posted a 4.76 ERA with 24 walks and 51 strikeouts across 34 innings in 13 games (10 starts), missing some time with a back injury. He throws his fastball around 94 mph, maxing out at 97 mph, with elite ride. He also features a nasty slider as his best secondary pitch, with his changeup and curveball as below-average pitches. The fastball-slider combination makes him the perfect fit to be a high-leverage reliever as a professional. He could advance quickly with a two-pitch mix, but he might need more time to develop as a four-pitch starter.
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What Conner said:"Both those guys (Randall and Massey) are big, physical right-handers. A little bit of a different mix, but both have the opportunity to be starting pitchers based on physicality, stuff and strikes. With Randall, he's got a power sinker-slider combination. Our guys felt like he was on the trend up as far as his development path. With Massey, he's a big, physical arm who's got some real carry to his fastball and a real feel for his breaking ball, as well. Two guys in the mold of what we're looking for as athletic, big bodies that can throw strikes and have an arsenal to start. Both of these guys are wired really well. They're extremely competitive, driven kids that are going to work hard to maximize everything out of their ability."
Notre Dame SS Jack Penney
Age:21.
Vitals:6-1, 190.
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Bats/throws:Left/right.
Drafted:Fifth round (No. 147 overall).
The buzz:The Tigers selected Penney as a shortstop, but he has played shortstop, second base and third base throughout his three-year career at Notre Dame, taking over as the full-time shortstop in 2024. Penney, who controls the strike zone, hit .264 with nine home runs, 39 walks and 34 strikeouts in 52 games. He makes healthy swing decisions and is praised for his on-base skills. Penney played 89 innings at third base and 23 innings at shortstop in the Cape Cod League leading up to the draft. In those 13 games, he hit .271 with zero home runs, six walks and five strikeouts.
What Conner said:"With Jack, he is a steady defender that has really good hands, good internal clock, and on top of that, it's really good bat-to-ball skills, controls the strike zone. A little bit of a down year performance-wise, but we've scouting him over past years, and honestly, it was just one of those years. There's a lot more to him."
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UC Irvine SS Woody Hadeen
Woody Hadeen of Y-D catches Nick Lorusso of Brewster attempting to stretch a single into a double in on Aug. 8, 2024 in South Yarmouth, Mass.
Age:21.
Vitals:6-2, 195.
Bats/throws:Switch/right.
Drafted:Sixth round (No. 176 overall).
The buzz:Hadeen doesn't have power, but he makes contact — especially in-zone contact — at elite rates. When he swings at a pitch inside the strike zone, he rarely misses. He pairs elite contact with incredible plate discipline. In 2024, Hadeen hit .358 with zero home runs, 62 walks and 35 strikeouts in 59 games. (He missed the entire 2023 season with a shoulder injury that required surgery.) He worked at shortstop for UC Irvine and projects to stick at shortstop into the future. Hadeen, a soon-to-be 22 year old, has just one home run in his three college seasons, spanning 625 plate appearances over 155 games, but if he never hits for power, his bat-to-ball skills should carry him through the minor leagues, even if utility player is his ceiling in the big leagues.
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What Conner said:"With Woody Hadeen, this is a long, loose-bodied shortstop that is a really good defender at short. He has every skill — from footwork to hands to arm — to be a shortstop long term. He has bat-to-ball skills and controls the strike zone, just needs a little bit more impact in there. His body still has projection to it, even though he's 22 years old, and once we get him around our player development staff, our sports science, our nutrition group, there's opportunity to grow, but the thing that's going to carry him long term is his bat-to-ball. How much power he grows into, that's to be determined, but his bat-to-ball skills are the driving force on him offensively."
Canisius OF Jackson Strong
Age:20.
Vitals:6-1, 185.
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Bats/throws:Left/left.
Drafted:Seventh round (No. 206 overall).
The buzz:Strong, who is young for the college draft class, recorded 42 stolen bases in 46 attempts during his 48-game junior season at Canisius College in 2024, also hitting .350 with 11 home runs, 41 walks and 38 strikeouts over 48 games. He is a below-average hitter, but he grades above average in power and speed. Strong has the upside to play center field, even though he played all three outfield positions in college. The biggest unknown: He might not hit enough to utilize his speed as a true threat at the highest level, either at the top of the lineup or the bottom of the lineup.
Regis LHP Ethan Sloan
Age:21.
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Vitals:5-11, 190.
Bats/throws:Left/left.
Drafted:Eighth round (No. 236 overall).
The buzz:Sloan registered a 3.96 ERA with 13 walks and 58 strikeouts across 36⅓ innings in 19 relief appearances for Regis University, a Division II program. His 3.96 ERA was the best of his four-year college career. He worked as his team's closer in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, earning First Team All-RMAC and First Team All-Region honors. His fastball topped out at 95 mph. Sloan also pitched for the West Virginia Black Bears in the MLB Draft League, posting a 4.09 ERA with three walks and 18 strikeouts across 11 innings in six games.
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What Conner said:"Our group is really excited about Sloan. I'm going to say three different things. He's left-handed, so he picks it up and throws it with the proper hand. He punches tickets. He doesn't walk. He is extremely competitive, so I'll add a fourth thing. We got around him at a workout, and he's wired right, and he's competitive. Starter, reliever, it's to be determined, but he throws a ton of strikes and can punch tickets, so we're excited. ... It's a combination of everything. Does the release angle stand out? Yeah, but truthfully, he can really direct a baseball. He can throw strikes. That is really hard to teach in a world today where velocity is chased and it's a little bit of can't repeat things. He's a good athlete that can repeat his delivery, has really good timing, shows carry to the fastball, and he is able to direct a baseball. The arm angle is part of it."
Toutle Lake (Washington) High School RHP Zach Swanson
Age:18.
Vitals:6-3, 195.
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Bats/throws:Right/right.
Drafted:Ninth round (No. 266 overall).
The buzz:Swanson, an Oregon State commit, is power pitcher who projected to end up in the second round about a year ago, but he instead, he slipped to the ninth round, seemingly agreeing to an over-slot bonus. Swanson struggled to repeat his high-effort delivery as a senior at Toutle Lake High School, leading to command issues. His pitches, though, give him a high ceiling as long as he unlocks his command by finding his optimal delivery. Swanson throws a 93 mph fastball and a high-spin slider with depth. He attacks both right-handed and left-handed hitters with his slider, easily his best secondary pitch. He also features an inconsistent changeup that needs improvement.
What Conner said:"I'm going to give credit to our area scout Cal Towey. He did a tremendous job on him throughout the year. He was identified in the summer, and then after the summer, he played basketball throughout the winter, and when he came out, it wasn't the smoothest start to the season for him, but Cal stuck with him. You got a physical, strong kid that's got a ton of arm strength and can spin a breaking ball. He's competitive, athletic. There's a lot of upside to him. How our board fell and how the draft falls every year is different, and we saw an opportunity with Swanson, and we were able to take advantage of it. ... For him to get back to optimizing his delivery and commanding his stuff, we're trusting in player development. We have a tremendous group there. From our pitching department to our strength and conditioning and sports science, they're all partnered together. We believe they're going to pull the best out of him, and he's going to give them his best."
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UNC Wilmington RHP R.J. Sales
Age:20.
Vitals:6-0, 170.
Bats/throws:Right/right.
Drafted:10th round (No. 296 overall).
The buzz:Sales, also young for the college draft class, logged a 3.41 ERA with 48 walks and 93 strikeouts across 95 innings in 16 starts for UNC Wilmington. He pitched in 2022, missed the entire 2023 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery and then returned to the mound in 2024. Sales walks too many batters and doesn't generate a ton of strikeouts, but he has a five-pitch mix. His fastball sits around 93 mph, and he also throws a curveball, changeup, slider and cutter. The curveball and changeup are his best secondary pitches.
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What Conner said:"He did have a full reconstruction, so any time guys come back from Tommy John, sometimes it takes a little bit of time for them to get a feel for everything. He's got the opportunity to go out as a starter and see where that goes long term. He throws strikes, competes and can spin a breaking ball. Nice little package that we think has upside and extra development once he gets into pro ball and further away from the procedure."
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold .
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers picks in Rounds 3-10 of MLB draft: A breakdown
