Detroit Tigers: 5 players they could realistically take in the first round of the 2022 MLB Draft

2B Jace Jung, Texas Tech

Another guy that has been mocked to Detroit quite often, Jung showcases a ton of power potential. Jung is the brother of Texas Rangers prospect Josh Jung, who Jace replaced at third base after Josh was drafted eighth overall in 2019. He then transitioned to second base in 2021 and ended being the Big 12 Player of the Year that year.

Here’s what MLB Pipeline has to say about Jace Jung:

“Jung’s upright setup at the plate is unorthodox but doesn’t prevent him from destroying all types of pitches and pitchers. The left-handed hitter has no discernible weakness at the plate, drawing more walks than strikeouts in each of his first two college seasons while making repeated hard contact to all fields. His hitting ability, strength and bat speed produce home runs from foul pole to foul pole and he makes two-strike adjustments without sacrificing much power.”

Jung would be another dream scenario for the Tigers. They don’t have any prospect with the power potential that he possesses. Pipeline also thinks he could “hit .300 with 30 home runs on an annual basis.”

The question for him long term is where he’ll fit defensively. He has a below average arm that has a tendency to be erratic, which is why the Red Raiders moved him to second base last year. He might be a first baseman in the pros, which may cause him to fall a bit in the draft.

That would okay with the Detroit Tigers. Getting a bat like his would be huge for their farm system. They can figure out the defense later. As long as he hits, he’d be perfect for Detroit.

SS Zach Neto, Campbell

The Tigers passed on their potential shortstop of the future in Marcelo Mayer last year, but luckily they have another chance to get that this year in Campbell’s Zach Neto.

He slashed a gaudy .403/.500/.751 in three seasons with the Camels, and will more than likely become the first player to be drafted in the first round to come out of Campbell. He’s an aggressive player, both with the bat and on the basepaths. He also has quick hands at shortstop.

Neto has a big leg kick that whoever drafts him may need to work on as he sees higher velocity in pro ball. Pipeline has more on all the moving parts in his swing:

“Neto has an unconventional setup with a huge leg kick that includes a pause and an uphill right-handed swing, but he has the exceptional hand-eye coordination to make it work. He looks to drive balls in the air to his pull side yet makes consistent contact despite his approach. He has at least solid bat speed and constantly gets into good position to do damage.”

Due to his aggressive nature, Neto has drawn comparisons to current Tigers shortstop Javier Baez. While that may leave a sour taste in fans’ mouths, he has shown much more plate discipline than Baez, walking 39 times this season compared to just 19 strikeouts.

While there would be concerns about the Tigers’ ability to work on Neto’s leg kick, he would still be a welcome addition to their farm system. Getting a shortstop with this year’s first rounder may help ease the pain of last year’s draft.

LHP Connor Prielipp, Alabama

Get ready, Tigers fans, because this could be the pick.

Rumor has it

that Detroit is planning on selecting the Bama lefty when their pick comes around on Sunday. Before you take out your pitch forks, let’s see what Prielipp has to offer.

All of his pitches are above average, with his slider being absolutely devastating. It has a max spin rate that exceeds 3,000 RPM according to MLB.com. The fastball usually sits in the low 90s and touches 95, but it could see an uptick with his newly reconstructed elbow.

Oh yeah, he’s coming off Tommy John surgery. That seems important. He had it after making just one start in 2021. He went under the knife last May, so he should be close to making a full recovery, which is obviously good.

He pitched in the draft combine last month, and scouts said his stuff was back according to MLB Pipeline. He had the potential to go 1:1 in this draft if not for the injuries. If the Detroit Tigers do decide to go with another arm at the top of the draft, going the college route would be the way to go.

If his stuff is as good as advertised, and his rehab process is about finished, then this wouldn’t be a terrible pick, especially considering the fact the Detroit Tigers excel at pitching development. Given the amount of injuries to Detroit’s pitching staff this year, it may not be that outlandish to take Prielipp.

RHP Brock Porter, Orchard Lake St. Mary’s High School (Michigan)

If the last scenario didn’t trigger you, then surely this one will. Naturally, the Tigers have been linked to Porter all throughout the draft process, and it makes sense. A local kid with good stuff, big velocity and 6-4 208 lb frame sounds almost too good to be true.

But Tigers fans could not take the team selecting another high school arm in the first round. They would riot. He might be the best prep arm in the class, but fans likely won’t be having any of that.

Fangraphs offers the following profile on Porter, comparing him to former All-Star Ubaldo Jimenez:

“The super loose, lanky Porter has significant physical projection even though he’ll be 19 on draft day, and he has among the best present arm strength in the high school class, sitting 93-96 with explosive life in short outings. He also has a tailing, plus changeup that induces embarrassing swings from high school hitters trying to cheat to catch his fastball. While his breaking ball seems to deceive hitters out of the hand, it doesn’t have consistent finish and often sails on Porter. Its shape is promising, though. Breaking ball polish will give Porter a mid-rotation starter’s repertoire. He shares some mechanical similarities with Ubaldo Jiménez, especially his stride direction, and this creates some relief risk. But while his delivery is intense, it also makes it clear just how flexible and athletic Porter is, and we’re more optimistic about him starting than most pitchers who exhibit this level of mechanical violence and effort.”

The delivery is a slight concern, as it could easily lead to injury, but hopefully the Tigers could fix that should they take a flyer on him. His athletic ability makes him just as intriguing as his stuff.

Porter is still being linked to the Tigers as of yesterday, when MLB Pipeline’s Jonathan Mayo mocked him to them. He also lists several other names that the Tigers have been linked to, including three other players on this list.

The Detroit Tigers are in a position to let the best player available fall to them. The key for them is going to be making sure the correct player is the best one.