Detroit Tigers: Best draft picks by Round in team history

Note – most of the players taken in the last rounds were high school or junior college kids who didn’t sign. Only one player on this slide actually signed with the Tigers and made the big leagues.

Round 50 – Eddie Gaillard

The Detroit Tigers grabbed right-hander Eddie Gaillard in the last round in 1992, and liked him so much they grabbed him again in 1993 in the 13th round. He didn’t pan out however, giving Detroit 20.1 innings of 5.31 ball before joining the Rays for a handful of years.

Round 49 – David Newhan

In what will become a theme, particularly in the later rounds, Newhan was drafted by the Tigers out of high school but chose to go to college, eventually getting drafted in the 17th round by the Oakland A’s. He hit 23 home runs in 413 big league games with five different teams.

Round 48 – Dusty Ryan

Dusty Ryan officially holds the record for the latest drafted player to sign with Detroit and make the big league roster. The 1,405th pick in 2003, Ryan made his big league debut in 2008 and hit .257 in 70 at-bats with the Tigers. His 0.1 bWAR is higher than the entire rest of Detroit’s 2003 draft class. Let that sink in.

Round 47 – Bobby Hughes

Hughes was taken in 1991 by the Tigers and by the Brewers in the second round in 1992. He hit 12 home runs in 319 at-bats with the Brewers from 1998-1999.

Round 45/46 – No one

The vast majority of the players drafted in these rounds were high schoolers who didn’t sign, or seniors from local universities like Michigan or Michigan State. No one worth even giving a shout out to.

Round 44 – Jeremy Giambi

Giambi wisely chose to attend Cal-State Fullerton instead of sign with the Tigers out of high school, who took him in the 44th round. Giambi went in the sixth round to the Royals in 1996 and hit .263 with 52 home runs in his six-year career.

Round 43 – Robert Fick

Robert Fick was originally drafted by the Oakland A’s in the 45th round out of high school. He decided to go to Cal-State Northridge and the Tigers took him in the 43rd round in 1995. He went back to school for his senior year and the Tigers took him again in 1996, this time in the fifth round. Fick hit .268 with a 4.9 bWAR during his career in the Motor City.

Round 42 – Kevin Chapman

The Tigers drafted Chapman out of high school, the first of three times the left-hander was picked. He spent four years in the bullpen for the Astros from 2013-2016.

Round 41 – DJ Lemahieu

Our first All-Star here in round 41. Detroit actually picked three players in round 41 who went on to have big league success – although none of them signed with the Tigers.