Five Players The Tigers Should Focus On As They Head Into Draft Without A Clear-Cut No. 1 Pick
By: Will Burchfield
@burchie_kid
The 2016 MLB draft kicks off on Thursday night, with the Tigers holding the number nine overall pick. It's the highest selection the team has owned since 2009, although their favorable position doesn't guarantee anything in a highly unpredictable draft class. Tack on the fact that the Tigers won't pick again until the fourth round – they forfeited their second- and third-round picks for the Jordan Zimmermann and Justin Upton signings – and the challenge of hitting on their first pick really comes into focus.
Detroit's director of amateur scouting, Scott Pleis, speaking to reporters at Comerica Park on Wednesday afternoon, emphasized the organization's primary goal is to get the best player available. If that means picking at a position of depth, so be it.
"We're going to absolutely get the best player. You never know what the future's going to be on the big league team. It's always changing. So I wouldn't lean away from a guy because I say, 'Wow man, we're going to have [Miguel Cabrera] forever. You've got to get the best player."
Who that best player is remains to be seen. Even at the top of the draft, there isn't a clear-cut number one pick. For the Tigers, the challenge will be adapting on the fly as the draft shakes out.
"It's very unpredictable this year. It's not one of those years where [Bryce] Harper or [Stephen] Strasburg is out there where you say, 'Hey, you know what? That guy's going number one.' Then the domino effect is you're going to figure out who likes who as you go through. As always, you see what you really want to happen but then you prepare for what the reality is and what's probably going to get to you," said Pleis.
Asked if he feels any extra pressure a to hit a home run with his first pick given the Tigers' lack of insurance in the next two rounds, Pleis was unfazed.
"There's no pressure in this," he deadpanned.
Then he chuckled and clarified, "The pressure is wanting to get the best player for the Tigers and wanting that player to be the guy you scouted, but I don't think there's any added pressure as far as 'Hey, we don't have two or three.'"
The top of the draft board, per usual, features both high school- and college-aged prospects. While Pleis acknowledged that younger players, especially pitchers, are more difficult to project moving forward, he and his team are not going to eliminate anyone based on age or experience.
"I'm not going to shy away from high school pitchers. There's obviously some players that have better odds to go to the big leagues than others, but if his ability is that great to be that type of player and we think he's going to reach that potential for a wide variety of reasons, not just on the field but off the field, I don't think you can ignore that," said Pleis.
On top of facing a longer road to the Major Leagues, young pitchers these days carry a heightened risk of injury.
"There is some concern because kids are throwing so hard," Pleis said. "I've never seen so many kids throwing 95-plus fastballs, it never used to be like that."
But Pleis reiterated the Tigers won't be afraid to make a bold decision if they feel it can improve the organization.
"At the end of the day you have to weigh what's the best value you're going to get, and you do weigh the risk. But would you walk away from one of the better guys in the draft to maybe take a different guy you don't like as much? No. You end up taking the best guy."
With all that in mind, here are five first-round targets for the Tigers to select with the ninth overall pick. Keep in mind, these are players that have a realistic chance to be on the board when Detroit is on the clock.
1. Riley Pint, 18, RHP, St. Thomas Aquinas (Kan.)
A pitcher who has drawn frequent comparisons to Justin Verlander, Pint has a blistering fastball complemented by a wipe-out curveball. The LSU recruit has already surpassed triple digits with his heater, and consistently hits 97 mph on the gun. In 49 innings pitched this season for St. Thomas Aquinas H.S., he has struck out 87 batters and posted a 0.57 ERA.
2. Braxton Garrett, 18, LHP, Florence High School (Ala.)
Though not as hard a thrower as Pint, Garrett has the elite off-speed pitches to make up for it. He boasts a mesmerizing curveball in the style of Barry Zito, and has begun to develop a very effective changeup as well. Underneath the tutelage of his father at Florence High, Garrett has racked up 131 strikeouts to just 15 walks in 65.1 innings this season.
3. Delvin Perez, 17, SS, International Baseball Academy (Puerto Rico)
This is an interesting one. Perez had been ranked as high as the number two prospect in this year's class, but his stock has fallen – and continues to fall – after it was reported earlier this week that he failed a drug test. (One might call this the Laremy Tunsil effect.) If he slips all the way to number nine, the Tigers would be wise to grab him. He is a terrific fielder and has the offensive potential to become an all-around star in the MLB.
4. Mickey Moniak, 18, CF, La Costa Canyon High School (Calif.)
While Perez has begun to slip on teams' draft boards, Moniak has gone soaring up them. His outstanding senior season coupled with a breakout performance on the showcase circuit has turned the LSU commit into an extremely popular prospect. A line-drive hitter who uses all fields, Moniak also boasts Gold-Glove instincts in center field, which would translate well in Comerica Park's sprawling outfield.
5. Zack Collins, 21, C, Miami University
Though some scouts have questioned Collins' ability to be a big-league catcher, there's no doubt that this kid can flat out rake. He batted .364 this season for the Hurricanes with a .540 on-base percentage, and drove in 54 runs. Offense comes at a premium at the catcher's position in the MLB, so if the Tigers are confident in Collins' ability to grow defensively he is surely worth their attention.