Inside the Article:
Detroit Tigers team president Scott Harris has dispelled the notion that the team was solely focused on college players in the 2023 MLB Draft. Despite rumors suggesting their preference for college bats, Harris ended up selecting high school OF Max Clark as the No. 3 overall pick.
Detroit Tigers ‘deked’ other teams in 2023 MLB Draft
Harris addressed this on The Stoney and Jansen Show on 97.1 The Ticket.
“I saw the narrative out there that we were obsessed with college bats, that we were focused on getting a college bat no matter what. I have no idea where that came from. I think it certainly helped us deke the industry a little bit toward the end.”
“We were high on Max Clark from the very beginning,” Harris expressed during the radio interview. “We loved his swing. We think he has a chance to impact the game on both sides of the ball. If you saw any of his interviews after the draft, we saw a person just absolutely obsessed with getting better in all facets of his game… He lives to get better at the game. I am never going to criticize another team’s player. We really like our player. We feel like Tigers fans are going to see why we like him so much when he gets on the field in the next couple of weeks.”
Scott Harris satisfied with draft results
Though the Tigers may not have gotten every target they had in the draft, Harris is satisfied with how things played out.
“I will admit every draft is frustrating because you always get snaked in a few rounds,” he said. “There’s always a player who gets popped a few picks ahead of you, kind of like fantasy football or fantasy baseball. But overall, I think we ended up with a lot of players we liked and we’re very pleased with the outcome.”
Key Points
- Scott Harris denies rumors of the team’s exclusive focus on college players in the 2023 MLB Draft.
- The Tigers surprised many by selecting high school outfielder Max Clark with the third overall pick.
- The Tigers’ early interest in Max Clark and their belief in his potential to impact the game on both offense and defense were key factors in their selection.
- Harris praised Clark’s dedication to continuous improvement and expressed confidence in his abilities to make an impact on the field.
- The Tigers expressed satisfaction with their overall draft selections, despite the typical frustrations of missing out on certain players.
Bottom Line – A Draft Victory for the Tigers
The Tigers’ ability to “deke” other teams in the 2023 MLB Draft demonstrates their astute decision-making and their commitment to securing talent aligned with their vision. By selecting Max Clark, a high school outfielder they held in high regard from the beginning, the Tigers showcased their confidence in his potential to impact the game on multiple fronts. Despite the usual frustrations of missing out on certain prospects, the Tigers expressed contentment with the overall outcome of the draft. As the newly acquired players begin their journey with the Tigers, the team eagerly awaits their contributions on the field.
For the record, I preferred the Florida kid, but it’s cool they got who they wanted. Hope it works out for the best. On a side note, and I know this sounds petty, but you didn’t “deke” anyone unless you think someone above you took their player to deprive you of the guy you wanted. The other two teams were never taking our guy, so we merely took the player we thought was best at the spot he was supposed to go. The only other option is that we reached for a player that shouldn’t have gone that high (I’m not saying we reached, just that there was no “deke” at all).