Meet the Four Newest Detroit Tigers Pitchers

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MESA, AZ – OCTOBER 14: Alex Lange #32 of the Mesa Solar Sox (Detroit Tigers) pitches during an Arizona Fall League game against the Glendale Desert Dogs at Sloan Park on October 14, 2019 in Mesa, Arizona. Glendale defeated Mesa 9-5. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

Alex Lange – RHP – 6’3, 197 lbs. – Age 25 – Drafted 1st Round 2017 (30th overall)

Alex Lange’s LSU squad lost to Alex Faedo’s Florida team in the 2017 College World Series Final, marking an unfortunate end to a storied college baseball career. In 2015 Lange produced one of the great freshman seasons in college baseball history, using a mid-90s fastball and a plus curveball to go 12-0 with a 1.97 ERA over 114 IP.

Lange’s stuff regressed in college, and he was never quite able to duplicate his early success, but the Chicago Cubs still drafted him in the first round in 2017. He spent his first full season in pro ball with the Class High-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans, and he put up solid numbers. But then, oddly, he returned to Myrtle Beach in 2019 and was awful. He did eventually make it to Double-A, but when the Tigers acquired him in the Nick Castellanos deal they immediately converted him into a reliever.

The bullpen seems to suit Lange, because he’s always had an effortful delivery and some control issues. He served in the role in the 2019 Arizona Fall League, and again during summer camp, and his velocity reportedly crept back up a bit during the Instructional League this fall. He’s unlikely to throw in high-leverage innings, but with four pitches that are all close to average, Alex Lange may carve out a role as a multi-inning reliever.