Detroit Tigers Weekly Draft Report: Franklin Can Bash

The Detroit Tigers Weekly Draft Report gets back into the groove as the top of the draft continues to take shape. Last week we saw more dominant pitching, including one no-hitter and another near no-hitter, while many of the presumed top bats continue to slide down the ranks.

If you care to read earlier updates you can find them here: College Preview, High School Preview, Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4&5

Now let’s get to it.

Detroit Tigers College Pitching Draft Targets

Season Totals

Kumar Rocker – (6 IP, 5H, ER, 2BB, 5K) – We saw the first cracks in Kumar Rocker’s armor last week. His fastball was down several ticks, and he showed some relative struggles against a pedestrian Missouri squad.

Jack Leiter – (7 IP, 0H, 2BB, 10K) – No such rust for Jack Leiter, who threatened to throw his second consecutive no-hitter but ran his pitch count too high and had to settle for 7 no-hit innings.

Jaden Hill – (4 IP, 5H, 6ER, 4BB, 6K) – Hill probably isn’t an option for the Detroit Tigers with the 3rd pick anymore. He still shows impressive stuff, but he’s not missing nearly enough bats.

Ty Madden – (6 IP, 6H, 2ER, 2BB, 6K) – Ty Madden wasn’t dominant in his outing against rival Oklahoma, but he continues to look like a probable top-15 pick and potential mid-rotation starter.

Gunnar Hoglund – (6 IP, 6H, 3ER, BB, 10K) – Hoglund gave up three solo home runs to Alabama on Friday, but he continued to pound the strike zone and rack up Ks, and he has a great shot to be the third college pitcher drafted this July.

Sam Bachman – (3IP, 0H, 9K) – Bachman missed a few starts earlier in the year and has been limited in his last two outings, but he’s absolutely electric. He struck out all nine batters he faced last week, hit 101 MPH on the gun, and he just might have the nastiest stuff in the draft.

Detroit Tigers Later Round Pitching Targets

Just checking in on some college arms who might go in rounds 2-5 this July.

Season Totals

Chase Silseth – (6.2 IP, 3H, ER, 2BB, 11K) – The ball was flying all over the yard in Tucson last weekend (57 runs scored in three games) but Silseth was able to silence Oregon’s bats with a fastball that hit 96 MPH and secondary offerings that show above-average potential.

Dominic Hamel – (6 IP, 3H, BB, 9K) – Dallas Baptist has an impressive history of developing hard-throwing relievers, and Hamel may eventually take on that role, but for now he’s a solid starter with a low-90s fastball and a decent slider.

Robert Gasser – (7.2 IP, 7H, ER, 2BB, 9K) – Robert Gasser is a southpaw with a great name for a pitcher, some deception in his delivery, and a solid 4-pitch mix that includes a fastball up to 95 MPH, a low-80s slider, an upper-70s curve, and a mid-80s changeup.

Mason Black – (7 IP, 3H, ER, 3BB, 10K) – Mason Black arguably has the stuff to go in the first round, with a lively fastball that can touch the upper-90s and a slider and changeup that both flash plus potential.  There’s a bit of stiffness to his delivery, leading to some command concerns, but he was very good last week.

Austin Krob – (7 IP, 1H, 2BB, 9K) – Krob is another interesting lefty with good size, a low-90s fastball, and a slider and changeup that both show above-average potential.

Kevin Abel – (6 IP, 0H, 3BB, 7K) – We finish with Kevin Abel, who was one of the stars of the 2018 College World Series, but then missed most of the last two seasons with Tommy John surgery. He doesn’t blow anyone away, but he has three solid pitches and he’s a great competitor. On Friday he threw the first 6 innings of a combined no-hitter as Oregon State beat Washington.

Detroit Tigers College Infield Draft Targets

Season Totals

Henry Davis – (2-for-13, BB, K, 2R, 2 RBI) – Of course as soon as we declare Henry Davis a potential top-5 pick he goes out and has his least productive weekend of the year. We’re not worried.

Adrian Del Castillo – (3-for-15, 2BB, 3K, 4R, RBI) – Yet another mediocre week for Adrian Del Castillo. He hasn’t really struggled a ton, but he hasn’t broken out either.

Matt McLain – (4-for-20, 2B, 3B, BB, 5K, 4R, 3 RBI) – Matt McLain is looking a lot more like the kid who struggled as a freshman than the top-10 bat he showed early last year and this fall.

Alex Binelas – (7-for-10, 2 3B, 2HR, BB, K, 5R, 10 RBI) – No one has struggled as much this year as Alex Binelas, and he seemed to take out all his frustration on Notre Dame (as one does) with a monster weekend.

Tim Elko – (10-for-24, 3 2B, 2HR, 6K, 6R, 10 RBI) – Elko is a senior who didn’t do much in his first two seasons, and his strong start in 2020 wasn’t enough to get him drafted. He’s making up for lost time this year, pacing the Rebels in hits, doubles, home runs, runs scored, and RBIs. He’s a good bet to get drafted in the first ten rounds.

https://twitter.com/OleMissBSB/status/1375894979562893317?s=20

Detroit Tigers College Outfield Draft Targets

Season Totals

Sal Frelick – (8-for-18, 2 2B, 2BB, 2K, 4R, 3 RBI, SB) – Just another outstanding week from Frelick, who seems like a lock to land in the top 10.

Jud Fabian – (0-for-13, 3BB, 11K) – This is getting kind of sad now. Fabian has impressive tools, but he was lost last weekend against a talented South Carolina pitching staff.

Colton Cowser – (9-for-16, 2B,  HR, BB, 3K, 7R, 9 RBI, SB, CS) – Colton Cowser has really turned it on over the past few weeks, and he’s beginning to look like player many projected as a potential top-10 pick.

Ethan Wilson – (5-for-11, 3HR, 3BB, K, 5R, 4 RBI, SB, CS) – Wilson’s season trajectory has mimicked Cowser’s, and he’s back to performing like a potential first rounder.

Dru Baker – (10-for-14, 2B, 3B, BB, 2K, 5R, 5 RBI, 3SB) – Dru Baker might be the hottest hitter on the planet right now. He’s the first player to take home two consecutive Big 12 Player of the Week awards since 2016, and he’s among the nation’s leaders in batting average and stolen bases.

Christian Franklin – (6-for-18, 2 2B, 3 HR, BB, 5K, 6R, 7 RBI) – Christian Franklin isn’t as physically impressive or tooled up as Jud Fabian, and he has some of the same swing-and-miss issues, but he sure seems like a player. He had a terrific weekend on both sides of the ball in Arkansas’ huge match-up with Mississippi State, and he looks like a very solid 2nd round pick.