Detroit Tigers pitcher Casey Mize is developing into the star on the mound the team envisioned when they selected him with the first overall pick in the 2018 MLB draft. And GM Al Avila will have a key decision to make in the upcoming July 11-13 MLB Draft when they select 3rd overall.
According to ESPN’s MLB Draft analyst Kiley McDaniel, the Tigers could be looking to add another arm, and that could come in the form of Vanderbilt’s Jack Leiter, who is currently pitching in the College World Series. The right-hander led finished with a 2.08 ERA and a 0.837 WHIP this year.
“Detroit is not shy in saying they really like power arms and good performance in SEC competition, and Jack Leiter is right in the middle of that,” McDaniel said. “He’s the best performer with the most tools and the most pedigree in the SEC, so he is their type to a T.”
In fact, according to one notable baseball scout, Leiter reminds him alot of Mize.
“I think he’s got a lot of Mize to him,” said Brian Sakowski, national scouting supervisor for Perfect Game USA. “We’ve seen that with Casey Mize in the minors and now in the majors where there’s that moxie, that never-change-your-facial expression intensity. I think Leiter is very similar to that. He’s obsessed with being the best and Mize is similar to that. That would be an incredible two-headed monster along with (Tarik) Skubal and hopefully some other guys at the top of that rotation.”
With the massive improvements that the Tigers rotation have seen under new pitching coach Chris Fetter, adding a young talent like Leiter could give another jolt to the ongoing rebuild.
“It’s elite fastball quality, he’s into the upper 90’s with that vertical slot, and really good breaking balls. Get that with the mad scientist Chris Fetter who’s proven he can make literally anybody better and I’m exited as to what the upside could potentially be,” said Sakowski.
– – Quotes via Audacy Link – –
