Detroit Tigers: 3 prospects to watch in the College World Series Final

LHP Jake Bennett, Oklahoma

The lone arm on today’s list, Bennett was a high school teammate of top Nationals’ prospect Cade Cavalli. Like Cavalli, he was drafted by Washington, but it was in the 39th round and he opted to play for the Sooners instead.

Bennett is a big kid, standing at 6-foot-6, and weighs 234 lbs. He features a fastball that has touched 98 mph in the past according to MLB Pipeline, but his bread-and-butter pitch is a changeup with some nasty movement.

Here’s what Pipeline has to say about Bennett:

"“Bennett is more effective against right-handers than same-side hitters because his 82-85 mph changeup is a legitimate plus pitch that tumbles at the plate, and he uses it almost exclusively against righties. Although his four-seam fastball has touched 98 mph, it usually operates at 91-94 with some arm-side run, and he must locate it up in the zone to be effective. He uses a slider with similar velocity to his changeup against left-handers, and it lacks consistency while flashing solid sweep at times.”"

Because of the inconsistent slider and his ability to pound the zone, most scouts believe his ceiling is as a backend of the rotation guy. But given what the Detroit Tigers have been able to do with the likes of Reese Olson, Wilmer Flores, and Beau Brieske with their newfound pitching development team, Bennett could be a very intriguing option.

The question is whether Bennett will still be there when the Tigers make their fourth round selection at pick 117. Remember, they don’t have pick 74 after trading it to the Rays in the Austin Meadows trade, nor do they have their third-round pick after signing Eduardo Rodriguez in the offseason.

Pipeline has Bennett ranked as their 89th overall prospect, but Law doesn’t have him ranked inside his top 100. The third or fourth round seems like the sweet spot for him. If he’s available when the Detroit Tigers are on the clock at 117, it wouldn’t be shocking to them pick him.