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 24: Zach Malis, 3B

Malis showed a lot of positional versatility down in the GCL, but his .202 average and 22 strikeouts in 89 at-bats could spell the end of his career.

Round 23: Jordan Verdon, 3B

Verdon also showed a lot of positional versatility, but he hit a slightly better .250 with strong plate discipline, and made it all the way to a two-game cameo at Lakeland. Expect to see him in Connecticut or West Michigan to begin 2019.

Round 22: Maddux Conger, P

Conger only appeared in eight games in the GCL, but he was effective – posting a 1.93 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP with a tidy 39/8 K/BB ratio in 28 innings of work. Expect to see him reach the full-season leagues in 2019.

Round 21: John Valente, 3B

A four-year stud at St. John’s, Valente absolutely raked across three levels for the Tigers. He hit .344 in rookie ball, .333 at West Michigan and .571 (4-for-7) with High-A Lakeland. Valente was far older than most of the competition he faced, so he will need to prove he can keep the solid production up when he reaches the higher levels.

Round 20: Kelvin Smith, SS

Smith signed with the Tigers as a 20th rounder out of High School, but managed to hit just .202 in the GCL. He did blast two home runs and steal nine bases, so the Tigers will likely maintain patience with the young infielder.

Round 19: Angel Reyes, RHP

Reyes posted a 2.84 ERA between rookie ball and Connecticut, but he walked 17 batters in 25.1 innings, a major cause for concern.

Round 18: Ethan DeCaster, RHP

DeCaster we touched on in a separate post, but the right-handed reliever has serious big league potential after posting an 0.84 ERA and a 39/6 K/BB ratio across four levels.

Round 17: Avery Tuck, OF

Tuck struck out 55 times in 109 at-bats in the GCL, a good sign that his professional career could be coming to a close.

Round 16: Dayton Dugas, CF

Dugas spent most of his first season in short-season, slashing just .230/.275/.361 with three home runs and two seals. He’ll need to show more consistent on base skills if he wants to stick around. 51 strikeouts in 137 at-bats is very concerning.

Round 15: Nick Ames, 1B

Ames was a known slugger at UNLV when Detroit snagged him, and he proceeded to hit nine home runs in just 48 games between rookie ball and short-season. His high strikeout totals may prevent him from advancing too far, but if he can keep that in check he could be a nice piece.

Round 14: Luke Sherley, SS

Sherley showed off some nice defensive skills last season, split between A/A-. However, his .201 average and one home run won’t hold up even if his defense remains elite.

Round 13: Chris Proctor, C

Proctor managed to slash just .115/.189/.167 in 33 games, spent mostly with West Michigan. He has a long way to go if he wants to stick around.

Round 12: Reece Hampton, CF

Hampton also got his own post, showing off nice speed and defensive skills in center field after getting drafted. His .242 batting average isn’t ideal, but he has great patience at the plate which helped him advance to A-Ball, where he will likely begin 2019.

Round 11: Kacey Murphy, SP

A left-hander from Arkansas, Murphy went 1-2 with a 5.21 ERA and 1.37 WHIP between short-season and rookie ball. He’ll likely get a fairly long leash though, and should begin next season in Connecticut.