Detroit Tigers: A postseason review of the 2018 draft class

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.