Detroit Tigers Draft Month: Mock Draft 1.0

Welcome to Detroit Tigers Draft Month! We’ll be offering MLB draft content for all of June to keep you informed about this year’s crop of amateur talent, beginning with

We’re kicking things off with a fun little mock draft from the staff here at MCB. There are five of us participating, and our only directive with each pick is to select the player WE would take if we were in charge of each team.

To be clear, we aren’t draft experts with inside information, but we follow all the latest draft buzz, and we think this is a good way to get a feel for how the draft might unfold. We’ll do another mock at the end of the month to see if anything has changed.

The Detroit Tigers have 3 of the first 39 picks in the 2021 MLB Draft, so we’ve decided to run this mock out to pick 40. That equates to the 4th pick in the 2nd round, which isn’t a natural end point, but this way all five of us get eight picks.

Without further ado, let’s get to the draft. With the first overall pick in the 2021 MCB Mock, the Pittsburgh Pirates select…

Jon Says:  The Pirates are said to be looking for bats, and the best prep hitter who plays a premium position is the choice. Mayer has enough competition for the first pick in Lawlar and the Vandy arms where he likely can be signed under slot.

Joe Says: Not too long ago Lawler was seen as the top prospect in the draft, so even at two he could be seen as a value pick. He has a tremendous ceiling and the added benefit of being in the Rangers’ backyard.

Kellen Says: Leiter has dominated the college ranks this season. The Tigers are intrigued by the possibility of a plus fast ball with multiple plus off speed offerings.

Chris Says: There were three legitimate options here, but the Red Sox are happy to get the best college bat in the draft, and they think he has a chance to be an impact defender as well.

Rogelio Says: With his raw power potential, big arm, and ability to generate exit velocity, Baltimore has a young prep player who has proven quite a bit on the showcase circuit.

Jon Says: Arizona is determined to walk away with a piece of the elite prep SS group. Watson fills the bill. The Diamondbacks also considered a re-draft on Matt McClain but decided one “no” from him was one too many.

Joe Says: The Royals would have loved to see one of the top position players fall to them, but are also happy to end Rocker’s slide. Rocker’s velocity has bumped back up and he adds another arm to KC’s already strong group.

Kellen Says: Despite Jobe being a high school pitcher, the riskiest breed of draft prospect, the Rockies are drawn to his undeniable top 10 talent, led by his flaming fastball that pushes triple digits. The Rockies are likely at the forefront of a long and painful rebuild and they’re banking on Jobe becoming a future rotation anchor.

Chris Says: There were a handful of players considered here, but the Angels are always looking for arms to help, and Madden gives them a good shot at a mid-rotation starter who can move relatively quickly.

Rogelio Says: Wicks has a four pitch mix including one of the better changeups in the draft. He has a smooth windup and good command.

2021 Motor City Bengals Mock MLB Draft 1.0

Jon Says: The Cubs often march to their own drumbeat in the draft, and while Stovall was thought to be going later, the Cubs see Stovall’s bat skills as too good to pass up despite not having a top-rated defensive reputation.

Joe Says: The White Sox have a roster stocked with talent, so they can afford to take a chance on a player who has fallen due to injury. Much like Hoglund, Hill was on track to be picked much higher prior to his injury. When healthy, Hill has a mid-to-upper-90s fastball which he pairs with an excellent changeup and developing slider.

Kellen Says: Cleveland and high schoolers: a mock draft match that has yet to fail analysts. The Baseball Team has picked a prep player with their first pick in six consecutive drafts. Petty sports a high octane fastball with good shape and a wipeout slider. Adding this kind of arm talent to a Cleveland organization that could likely develop my 90 year old grandma into a legitimate MLB rotation option right now is downright scary.

Chris Says: The Braves took Jared Shuster out of Wake Forest last year, and they tap into the Deacons’ pitching lab again with Ryan Cusick. Built like Kyle Farnsworth, Cusick owns a huge arm that has touched triple digits, and he also throws a breaking ball that flashes as a plus offering.

Rogelio Says: Will Taylor has elite speed and he is a very athletic player, playing three sports in high school.

Jon Says: McGreevy has two plus offerings and a 104/10 K/BB ratio. His development over the past year has been impressive to scouts.

Joe Says: Chandler is a Clemson football recruit but this should be high enough to get him to sign. He is an athletic pitcher who is also a legit prospect as a shortstop. As a pitcher, he has a plus fastball which has been up to 97, an above average curveball, and a working changeup.

Kellen Says: Fabian is set up to become one of the more debated first-round picks in recent memory. The hype surrounding his game coming into the year has led analysts to put a magnifying glass to his strikeout issues. The swing-and-miss is very real, but so is Tampa’s ability to help its players refine their approach and swing path.

Chris Says: Bednar is one of the most prolific strikeout pitchers in all of college baseball this year, and his fastball and slider both show the sort of pitch metrics the Dodgers covet. His brother is a reliever for the Pirates, and there’s some risk of Will following suit, but the Dodgers think they can develop him into a starter.

Rogelio Says: With his raw power potential from the left side and strong arm, Wood is a player who could evolve into a prototypical right fielder.

2021 Motor City Bengals Mock MLB Draft 1.0

Jon Says: Miami gets a lefty bat who could project to be in the middle of the order one day with good power and plate discipline.

Joe Says: After landing Leiter in the first, the Tigers continue rebuilding their pitching depth. Solometo is 6’3’’ and creates a ton of deception with his low-3/4 arm angle. The stuff is already good, with a fastball sitting in the low-90s and a slider which flashes above average as well. Given his long, wiry frame there is hope for more stuff down the line as he matures.

Kellen Says: Lile is a sweet swinging prep lefty who has at least an outside shot to stick in center field. Even if he’s relegated to left field due to his weak arm, the Brewers remain confident he can develop enough in-game power to pair with his strong barrel control and quiet hands to make this selection well worth their efforts.

Chris Says: A former catcher, Hurd is all about projection. His fastball is mostly in the 89-92 range right now, but he’s got a quick arm, tons of room to fill out, and precocious feel for 4 different offerings.

Rogelio Says: He has quick hands, room to grow, and can square up the ball nicely and can play any outfield spot.

Jon Says: The Minnesota Twins with the 36th pick select Shortstop Alex Mooney of Orchard Lake-St. Mary’s HS in Michigan. This alleviates the pressure on MCB to put him with the Tigers at #39. Mooney has a good skill set in a broad range of areas while perhaps not being elite in any of them. Sounds like a Gardenhire Era type of Twin.

Joe Says: Williams has some helium as the draft approaches. A solid set of tools headlined by a plus to double plus arm which should allow him to stay at short. His combination of hitting ability, bat speed, and loft give him a chance to hit for fringe average to average power down the line.

Kellen Says: Montgomery is one of the top athletes in the class, which will be crucial if he’s going to stay at SS long-term due to his tall and long build. There’s some real upside in the bat with the potential for above average hit and power as he develops.

Chris Says: Detroit isn’t getting any deals on Leiter and Solometo, but they have the 2nd largest bonus pool and they can swing another prep player here. Pacheco has some of the most raw pop in the entire draft class, and he’s a deceptively good athlete with a strong arm. There are some swing-and-miss concerns here, but the power potential is too big to pass up.

Rogelio Says: Mace has increased his strike throwing, and with the state of the Boston Red Sox farm system, his four-pitch mix and his time at Driveline makes him an ideal choice for a front office that loves using data.