With each passing day, it looks more and more like the wish of Detroit Tigers fans to see a new general manager take over the helm from Al Avila won't come to fruition. And it will once again be Avila tasked with handling another draft selection; the team selects No. 12 overall this year. Per Baseball America, the Tigers will select LHP Connor Prielipp out of the University of Alabama.
The final mock drafts from @BaseballAmerica and @MLBPipeline each have the @tigers selecting LHP Connor Prielipp from Alabama, who underwent Tommy John Surgery in May of 2021, with the No. 12 overall pick in the @MLBDraft. pic.twitter.com/cps6wWubwJ
— Dan Hasty (@ThatDanHasty) July 15, 2022
Connor Prielipp, who is projected by multiple scouts to be a 1st or 2nd round pick, has earned several accolades while playing with the Crimson Tide, including being named the National Freshman Player of the Year as well as being named a First Team All-American. He was also ranked the No. 4 pitcher on Baseball America's College Top 150 list for 2021 before suffering an injury that required Tommy John surgery. In two years with Alabama, he's amassed a 4-1 record and an impressive ERA of 0.96.
http://gty.im/1124999244
Detroit is mocked to take LHP Connor Prielipp in the 2022 MLB Draft
Avila has already brought aboard the likes of Spencer Torkelson, Riley Greene, Casey Mize, and Tarik Skubal through the Draft. And if this mock draft is any indication, the Tigers will once again be taking help on the mound.
“We're trying to get the best guy,” said Tigers director of amateur scouting Scott Pleis last week.
For Prielipp, the injury gave him a new perspective and also gained a new appreciation for hard work as he made his way back into action.
“It’s what you dream of as a little kid,” Prielipp recently said. “With the injury, the last two years for me have been really hard, but it just gave me a new perspective, and you never know when your last pitch is going to be, so just keep working as hard as you can every day.”
The 2022 MLB Draft begins at 7 p.m. on Sunday, July 17.
[irp posts=”283615″]
