Detroit Tigers 2022 Mock Draft 1.0

Ryan says: The Mets go with the high school pitcher who, if not for Tommy John surgery, might have been number one overall. With major league teams viewing TJ surgery as a right of passage for a power pitcher these days, the Mets might be getting a steal with the prep righty at 11. The upside is an ace level major leaguer who could be the next great Mets starting pitcher.

Chris says: His unorthodox swing and small-school pedigree may scare some teams away, but all Neto has done is produce, with an OPS that topped 1.200 in both college and wood bat summer leagues. He’s also a no-doubt infielder with a plus arm, above-average athleticism, and a good chance to stick at shortstop.

Jon says: The news of Rocker’s medicals not scaring off swaths of teams, plus Rocker dominating Indy leaguers should put him comfortably in Round 1. His performance at Vanderbilt still resonates. Rocker might be the most likely player chosen outside the Top 10 where people look back in a decade and say “how did he last that long?!”

Jake says: Barriera has an advanced arsenal with the makings of a sum-of-the-parts mid-rotation lefty starter. He’s physically mature with only modest gains remaining which leaves a relief future possible, but his strike throwing and comfortable three pitch mix should allow him to progress quickly in the Mets’ system.

Matthew says: The likelihood of Berry falling this far in real life is quite slim, despite concerns about his long term defensive viability. He’s probably the best all-around hitter in the draft, certainly the best college hitter. San Diego gets an absolute steal here at 15.

Matthew says: The Guardians have become known as a pitching factory over the past few years, but most of their success hasn’t come from homegrown talent. Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco, Mike Clevinger, and others were all acquired via trade. Prielipp gives them the best chance to buck that trend, despite coming off Tommy John surgery. His stuff landed him as a potential 1:1 guy before the surgery. Knowing what Cleveland does with pitching, this could be another steal.

Jake says: Susac isn’t a prototypical catcher profile; he’s a hit-first guy with a tall frame and average defensive abilities. It remains to be seen if he sticks at the spot, but an eventual move to first base would be a plausible solution considering his plus arm. In a best case scenario, Susac can step in for JT Realmuto, who will be a free agent after 2025.

Jon says: All of SE Michigan rejoices to see a local lad in Round 1. The Reds see the 6’4” frame throwing 97-mph as a good bet when adding a curve and change-up which seem above average. The money at #18 should get Porter off his Clemson commitment.

Chris says: Oakland swings for the fences with DeLauter, a jumbo outfielder with a fascinating profile. He has had spectacular success over a limited track record, and he has a chance to be a true five-tool talent despite being shaped more like a tight end than a typical center fielder.

Ryan says: The Braves go for the underslot and select maybe the top college arm in the draft. Hughes fanned over 12 batter per 9 innings last year, and should be solid mid rotation starter in a few years to help the Braves continue their World Series aspirations.

Ryan says: In what could turn out to be one of those “How did he fall that far” players, the Mariners select the best player available in Gilbert. He was the leader of a great college baseball team at Tennessee, and he could be the first player from this draft class to make the major leagues and join Julio Rodriguez in the Mariners outfield for the next decade.

Chris says: The Cardinals went college pitching with their top pick in 2021, but Cade Horton is a different animal than Michael McGreevy. Horton’s fastball is a mid-90s weapon, and he developed a nasty slider in the middle of the season. The track record is limited, but had Horton spent all year pitching the way he did over his final five starts he’d be an easy top-ten pick.

Jon says: The lanky lefty from Oregon State struck out 161 batters with a nasty slider/change up combo. Toronto gladly adds him to their stock of pitchers in the system.

Jake says: The Red Sox go back to the well to draft Beck again, who was their 14th-rounder in 2019. He’s shown excellent bat speed and projects for above-average power—questions, though, remain about whether he will make enough contact to tap into his plus bat speed at the highest levels.

Matthew says: The Yankees are going to hope that history repeats itself with this pick – taking a college outfielder from the west coast at the back end of the first round and hope for the best. Beavers is a bit risky, as there’s some holes in his swing, but the Yanks have shown the ability to develop this kind of hitter before, so there’s no reason to believe that they can’t do it again.

Matthew says: The White Sox like to do the whole “draft a college arm, turn him into a reliever and have him join the big league club for the stretch run” thing, and that’s what they’d be doing here. Tidwell is a power arm with some injury concerns, so having him in the bullpen at first makes sense.

Jake says: The Brewers go with a deceptive lefty here and a massive frame. He moves well for his 6’9” frame with lots of room to add strength throughout. Folks love his spin rate numbers and feel his velocity could eventually reach the mid-90’s consistently as he progresses.

Jon says: The Astros were happy to watch the prep phenom from Pennsylvania drop through the 1st round. Young had a strong senior year exhibiting skills that should keep him at shortstop. He’s committed to Duke, Houston will need to make a good offer to keep him off campus.

Chris says: Jett Williams lacks ideal size at 5’8, 180, but he’s one of the best contact hitters in the prep class, and he has enough thump to potentially hit for average power. He’s also going to play defense somewhere up the middle, with shortstop a possibility and center field or second base real options.

Ryan says: The Giants have ultimate trust in their scouting department and show that by taking Pallette. He had TJ surgery in the spring, but once healthy his high-octane stuff gives him the potential to be a front line starter. The Giants will have to wait a bit for that potential outcome