The 2022 Major League Baseball Draft is in the books and the Detroit Tigers have added 19 prospects to their organization.
All 19 players the Tigers selected over the past three days are from the college ranks.
As you can see below, the Tigers selected 12 pitchers and 7 hitters in the draft.
Meet the new kids on the @RoadtoDetroit.
It's the first time since 2013 that the Tigers' first 20 selections all came from the college ranks. pic.twitter.com/j3kZtjiFg1
— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) July 19, 2022
Here is a little blurb about each player the Detroit Tigers selected in the first 10 rounds of the 2022 MLB Draft, courtesy of Prospects Live.
Jace Jung (2B) 1-12
Jace, the younger brother to 2018 first round pick Josh Jung, can flat out mash. A power-oriented corner infielder, Jung hit almost .500 as a senior in high school before stepping in and starting immediately for the Red Raiders. He hit 4 home runs in 16 starts for Texas Tech in 2020 and pumped out 21 more as a true sophomore in 2021. His .337 average was among the best in the Big 12. At 6-foot, 205 pounds, Jung is a thick, super strong middle infielder with serious thump at the plate. He draws a ton of walks and limits his strikeouts to healthy levels. A second baseman now, Jung could probably move to third base at the next level. He’s got an average arm and fringy lateral mobility, but he’s quick enough on his feet where scouts think he may be able to handle the hot corner. That said, we’re certainly talking about a bat-first prospect who could eventually end up a plus-plus hitter with plus juice.
Peyton Graham (SS) 2-51
Incredibly impressive freshman campaign hitting .368 and punishing the baseball. Played an exceptional third base in the abbreviated season. Graham was slowed a bit in 2021 by strikeouts, but the power took a step forward and he took his walks. It’s a sound approach these days thanks to a swing change, that suggests a fairly complete hitter moving forward. Graham was very good the second-half of 2022, eliminating strikeouts and hitting for average and power. He’s got a premier, projectable body that might move him to third base at the pro level, but he handles shortstop well for the time being. The throwing arm can comfortably handle either position, though his athleticism fits best at the hot corner.
Troy Melton (P) 4-117
Heavy, Low-90s sinker with accompanying slider and changeup. Both pitches are fringy right now, but it’s a quick arm with good projectability. Throws a lot of strikes. Starter upside.
Luke Gold (3B) 5-147
Gold presents one of the better bats in the 2022 class. There’s average. There’s power. There’s discipline and bat-to-ball. He does everything at the plate quite well. He can handle third base or first base as well, though his arm is below average across the diamond. Gold will be an enticing bats to clubs looking for a Ty France type of profile in the draft, albeit with limited defensive value unless player development can shore up his throwing shortcomings.
Danny Serretti (SS) 6-177
Solid college hitter with good on-base numbers and a steady approach at the plate. Serretti is currently a shortstop but projects better at second base due to below average range. The average can play at shortstop. He’s capable of stick at the position, though not necessarily as a defensive asset. Not a big power threat.
Seth Stephenson (OF) 7-207
From 247Sports:
Hitting primarily in the leadoff spot following the injury to freshman Jared Dickey, Stephenson finished the 2022 season with a .339 batting average, a .408 on-base percentage and a .508 slugging percentage — a strong OPS of 1.255. Getting the free-swinging Stephenson to become more disciplined at the plate was a process, but when he did that, he took Tennessee’s already-strong offense to another level. He had 22 extra-base hits and 28 RBI in 59 games with 46 starts, but he scored 46 runs and stole a team-best 25 bases in 30 attempts.
Jake Miller (P) 8-237
Miller’s fastball has been up to 94, but he makes his money with one of the better curveballs in the class. It’s high spin with fantastic depth. Fastball continues to creep up and, given his frame, Miller could end up throwing pretty hard. Certainly has starter traits with a prototype body and feel for pitching and the strikezone. This is a really quick arm with tons of projection ahead.
Andrew Jenkins (1B) 9-267
Jenkins has hitterish traits about his profile with a well-rounded metric profile in terms of exit velocity, zone recognition skills and bat-to-ball skills. The bat is certainly draftable, though Jenkins biggest hurdle in the eyes of scouts will be where he profile on the field. Most of his starts for the Yellow Jackets have been at first base or designated hitter. He’s got experience at third base and behind the plate as a high schooler, though he may have trouble getting opportunities pre-draft with Kevin Parada and Drew Compton in the fold.
Trevin Michael (P) 10-297
Michael, a 24-year-old reliever who turns 25 in October, is a highly intriguing power arm in this class, and a potential money saver in rounds 5-10 for a team looking to splurge on prep talent. Michael can rush it up to 99 with some hop at the top of the zone. He’s got a hard, tight, upper-80s slider with short break and strong tunneling characteristics off his fastball. Michael also offers a parachuting upper-80s changeup that lacks consistency, and a big, upper-70s 12-6 banger curveball that can freeze batters.
Nation, which of these players do you think will make the biggest impact for the Detroit Tigers in the future?
