Detroit Tigers: Best draft picks by Round in team history

DETROIT, MI – JUNE 07: Alex Avila #31 of the Detroit Tigers hits a single in the first inning during a MLB game against the Los Angeles Angels at Comerica Park on June 7, 2017 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Dave Reginek/Getty Images)

Round 40 – Alex Faedo

In 2014 the Tigers used their 40th (and final) round pick on Alex Faedo. They would of course draft him again in 2017, at a much higher spot. When he makes the big leagues, he will be the first 40th round pick in team history to do so.

My favorite 40th round pick by the Tigers was in 2009, when according to Baseball-Reference they drafted B____ B____. Legit, they don’t have a name. He apparently went to Neshannock High School in Pennsylvania, whoever he is.

Round 39 – Dustin Richardson

Dustin Richardson was taken in 2003 by the Tigers, and again in the fifth round by the Red Sox in 2006. He played sparingly for two years in Boston, racking up a 3.15 ERA in 16.1 innings.

2013 39th round pick Anfernee Grier was a supplemental first round pick by the Diamondbacks in 2016. He swiped 30 bases last year and is one of the organizations top prospects.

Round 38 – Zach Putnam and A.J. Minter

The Tigers took two high school pitchers in the 38th round who are currently in the big leagues. Zach Putnam was drafted out of Ann Arbor High School in 2005. He opted to attend Michigan and was a fifth round pick by the Indians in 2008. He’s bounced around the big leagues and owns a 3.20 ERA in 152 innings.

Minter was taken in 2012 but went to Texas A&M, where a fantastic collegiate career made him a second round pick by Atlanta in 2015. He has 39 strikeouts in 30 big league innings and could be the closer of the future in Atlanta.

Detroit took Magglio Ordonez‘s kid in 2014. They typically use this round to take high school kids.

Round 37 – Bill Butler

The Tigers took Butler in 1965 but lost him to the expansion draft in 1969 to the Kansas City Royals. Butler went 9-10 with a 3.90 ERA in KC’s inaugural season, and ended his career with 23 wins in 591.2 total innings – none with the Tigers.

Lately the Tigers have been drafting mostly High School kids in the 37th round, 90% who choose not to sign and instead play college ball. The last 37th round pick to sign was Charlie Neil out of Yale back in 2012. He hit .160 in Short Season ball and left to play in independent leagues after that.

Round 36 – Gary Ignasiak

Two big leaguers from round 34, although Ignasiak is the only one who signed. He threw 4.2 innings for the Tigers in 1973 and that was it.

The Tigers did take Torii Hunter‘s son, Torii Hunter, in the 36th round out of High School in 2013. He was taken by the Angels out of Notre Dame in 2016 and is currently slashing .277/.370/.396 in Single-A.

Round 35 – Cody Hall

Cody Hall was drafted by the Tigers in 2010 and the Giants in the 19th round in 2011. No one else the Tigers have taken in the 35th round has made the big leagues.

They did take left-handed phenom A.J. Puk out of high school in 2013, but he opted to go to Florida where he was the sixth overall pick by the A’s in 2016.

Round 34 – Alex Avila (Drafted again later)

This doesn’t really count, as Avila was drafted in 2005 in the 34th round out of High School, and again in the fifth round in 2008 out of Alabama. It’s almost as if he knew someone on the inside…

Round 33 – Rusty Meacham

The Tigers drafted Jason Frasor in the 33rd round in 1999, but shipped him to Toronto in 2002 for Hiram Bocachica. While he never pitched for the Tigers, he had a very solid career as a middle reliever, throwing in 679 games with a 3.49 ERA.

Since Frasor never played in Detroit, the real winner is 1987 selection Rusty Meacham, who threw 27.2 innings with the Tigers in 1991 before heading to Kansas City. He took four years off before resurfacing with the Astros in 2000, and the Rays again in 2001.

Round 32 – Eric Eckenstahler

Eckenstahler has the distinction of having the lowest ERA of anyone on the 2003 Detroit Tigers. His 2.87 ERA (in 15.2 innings) led the team by a considerable margin. Eck was the only 32nd round pick by the Tigers to make the big leagues. He threw eight innings in 2002 in addition to his 2003 numbers, and that was it.

For the dreamers, 2017 32nd round pick and Florida State product Drew Carlton is currently 3-0 with a 1.65 ERA and a 16/3 K/BB ratio in High-A Lakeland. You never know.

Round 31 – Humberto Sanchez

Two players, Humberto Sanchez and Don Gordon, reached the big leagues after getting drafted in the 31st round by the Tigers. Neither suited up for Detroit, but Sanchez was part of the trade that netted the Tigers Gary Sheffield – so he wins. He threw two innings for the Yankees in 2008.