Detroit Tigers: A postseason review of the 2018 draft class

The 2018 MLB Draft will be pivotal for the Detroit Tigers in their quest to bring a championship back to the Motor City.

The Detroit Tigers used the first overall pick in the 2018 MLB draft to select Auburn right-hander Casey Mize. While he is the most important player in Detroit’s quest to rebuild a championship team, the 2018 class has plenty of other critical pieces to an eventual championship.

Parker Meadows and Kody Clemens both look the part of future big league regulars. Adam Wolf and Tarik Skubal are two solid left-handed pitchers, and Brock Deatherage has impressed everyone after getting selected in the tenth round.

Here is a look at the entire 2018 draft class, top to bottom, and how they fared in their first taste of professional baseball. As one might expect, many of the lower round players didn’t impress too much in their brief minor league showing. Players selected past the 20th round have to really strut their stuff if they want to be invited back in 2019.

While there are plenty of lower round guys who did look good, most have seen the end of their brief professional career. Another note: The Tigers signed 38 of their 40 draft picks, with picks in rounds 38 and 39 choosing to go to college instead.

Round 40: Kevynn Arias, C

Arias hit .150 in 20 games in the Gulf Coast League. He probably won’t be around in 2019.

Rounds 39 and 38: Cory Acton and Cole Henry, P

Acton and Henry are high schoolers who did not sign with the Tigers.

Round 37: Matthew Jarecki, OF

Jarecki slashed .245/.347/.437 with four home runs and 10 steals split between Tigers East and Tigers West in the GCL. One of the more impressive very late round performances for the Tigers.

Round 36: Yaya Chentouf, RP

Besides appearing to be named after a character from the Sandlot, Chentouf threw 36 innings with a 2.00 ERA and a nice 29/8 K/BB ratio with Tigers West and primarily with short-season Connecticut. He may have done enough to stick around.

Round 35: Chavez Fernander, RP

Another solid performance from a late round pitcher, as Fernander saw time with both GCL teams and the Connecticut Tigers. He finished with a 1.59 ERA and a 41/9 K/BB ratio in 39.2 innings. He’ll probably be around again in 2019.

Round 34: Vinny Esposito, OF

Esposito played with both GCL teams, slashing .312/.424/.496 with four home runs and 10 steals.

Round 33: Justin Childers, 1B

The Tigers need 1B prospects, but Childers’ .200/.342/.328 line in 40 games in the GCL probably isn’t going to cut it.

Round 32: Clark Brinkman, OF

The Creighton product was Detroit’s lowest selected prospect to reach High-A Lakeland, although he only hit .136 in six games there. He fared slightly better at short-season and in rookie ball, and could join the ranks of Creighton outfielders who exceed expectations in Detroit’s system, alongside Mike Gerber.

Round 31: Jayce Vancena, SP

A local product from the University of Michigan, Vancena made 12 starts between the GCL and Connecticut, pitching to a 4.62 ERA and an 0-8 record. That might be it for him.

Round 30: Jared Tobey, SP

A lefty from nearby Wayne State University, Tobey threw 36.2 innings for Tigers East, posting a 4.17 ERA and a 29/20 K/BB ratio. Yikes.

Round 29: Jeb Bargfeldt, RP

Bargfeldt tossed 25.2 innings of 4.56 ball with GCL Tigers East. He had two saves but an ugly 1.71 WHIP.

Round 28: Daniel Reyes, LF

Reyes showed elite speed in the GCL, giving him a small cameo at short-season where he hit .320 with two doubles in six games. He’ll likely start at that level again in 2019.

Round 27: Stevie Ledesma, SP

A big right-hander from UC-Santa Barbara, Ledesma pitched well enough in the GCL to earn a three start cameo in Connecticut, where he got crushed to the tune of a 7.80 ERA and a 1.80 WHIP.

Round 26: Garrett Hill, SP

Hill started six games for Tigers West, posting a nice 3.11 ERA with a 46/13 K/BB ratio. He gave up a lot of hits, but was able to control most of the damage.

Round 25: Chance Kirby, SP

Kirby made it all the way up to Single-A West Michigan for four starts, where he posted a 4.87 ERA and a nice 20/4 K/BB ratio. He looked excellent in the GCL, and should be around again in 2019.

Round 10: Brock Deatherage, OF

One of the most popular draftees, Deatherage cruised up to Lakeland and finished his first campaign slashing .326/.385/.504 with seven home runs and 19 stolen bases in just 60 games. He is quickly showing up on Tigers top 50 lists, and is an important name to watch going forward.

Round 9: Tarik Skubal, LHP

An injury shut Skubal down early, but the left-hander posted an electric 0.40 ERA and 33/4 K/BB ratio in just 22.1 innings after getting drafted. His arm action, size and the fact that he pitches from the left side could make him a quick-to-the-bigs LOOGY if he can maintain this success against higher level opponents.

Round 8: Jeremiah Burks, SS

Burks didn’t show much after getting selected in the eighth round, slashing just .223/.327/.354 between the GCL and short-season Connecticut. The middle infielder will need to cut down on the strikeouts if he wants to stick around in a crowded middle infield situation on Detroit’s farm.

Round 7: Eric De La Rosa, OF

De La Rosa showed off the speed that scouts raved about when he was drafted, swiping 13 bases on 15 attempts. However, his .232 average and 69 strikeouts in 190 at-bats is definitely less than ideal. He’ll need to improve on that soon if he wants to avoid getting lost in the Tigers outfield shuffle.

Round 6: Hugh Smith, RHP

The Tigers shut Hugh Smith down after he threw a lot of innings at DIII Whitworth University. The six-foot-ten right-hander with a blazing fastball will be one of the most intriguing prospects to watch as next season gets underway.

Round 5: Adam Wolf, LHP

Yet another prospect who got his own post, Wolf made 10 starts with Connecticut and posted a 2.67 ERA, a 1.08 WHIP and a nice 27/8 K/BB ratio in 30.1 innings. He profiles as a nice back end of the rotation starter, and could move quickly through the minors thanks to high pitchability and a durable frame.

Round 4: Kingston Liniak, CF

One of the most intriguing of Detroit’s 2018 prospects, Liniak struggled in his first taste of professional pitching. He struck out 63 times in just 200 at-bats, most spent in the GCL. At just 18, the Tigers will be plenty patient with their fourth-rounder.

Round 3: Kody Clemens, 2B

Clemens acclimated himself quite nicely to the professional ranks, hitting .302/.387/.477 at West Michigan before making an 11 game cameo at High-A Lakeland. Clemens is 22 and has already shown excellent polish at the keystone, and could be a quick to the big leagues position prospect for Al Avila and the Detroit Tigers.

Round 2: Parker Meadows, OF

Toolsy outfielders was a bit part of Avila’s draft strategy, and the prize in that department was high schooler Parker Meadows. Meadows hit .290/.377/.473 with four home runs and three steals in just 28 games, showing off the power, speed and plate discipline that make him one of Detroit’s most exciting prospects.

Round 1: Casey Mize, RHP

A future top of the rotation ace, Mize only made five starts after getting drafted, as a way to make sure his arm stayed fresh. He made four of them with High-A Lakeland, posting a 4.63 ERA and a 1.28 WHIP. Mize will be one of the most talked about prospects in all of baseball next season.

The 2018 draft class will be crucial in helping the Detroit Tigers get out of this rebuild and back into contention in the AL Central.