Analyzing the last ten Detroit Tigers drafts

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DETROIT – MAY 01: Ryan Perry #45 of the Detroit Tigers pitches in the ninth inning and gets his first win of the year against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim during the game on May 1, 2010 at Comerica Park in Detroit, Michigan. The Tigers defeated the Angels 3-2. (Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images) /

The Tigers used their first round pick in 2008 on a hard throwing college right-hander Ryan Perry.

Perry spent less than 30 innings in the minor leagues before making his big league debut with the Tigers in 2009. He threw 61.2 innings of 3.79 ball with a 8.8 K/9 and a 5.5 BB/9.

Perry dropped his walk rate and his strikeout rate considerably in 2010, posting a 3.59 ERA in 62.2 innings as a middle reliever in Detroit’s bullpen.

An injury riddled 2011 season saw Perry post an ugly 5.8 K/9 with an even uglier 5.1 BB/9. His 5.35 ERA and 1.62 WHIP were bad as well, and at the end of the season the Tigers shipped Perry to the Washington Nationals for reliever Collin Balester.

Perry threw eight innings with the Nationals in 2012, and never reached the big leagues again.

Although Perry was a bust, the 2008 draft was not a complete loss for the Tigers. They snagged All-Star catcher Alex Avila in the fifth round and left fielder Andy Dirks in the eighth round.

Avila posted a 105 OPS+ and hit 77 home runs in his Tigers career, which ended with him getting traded at the 2017 trade deadline along with Justin Wilson for third baseman Jeimer Candelario and prospect Isaac Paredes.

Dirks spent three years in Detroit, hitting .276 with a 101 OPS+. Injuries unfortunately cut his career short however, and he was out of baseball by age 28.

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