Detroit Tigers 2022 Mock Draft 2.0: Day two guesses

The 2022 MLB Draft began yesterday, with the Detroit Tigers selecting two infielders from the Big 12 Conference.

Our original plan was to have five MCB editors take a stab at guessing who the Tigers might draft with each of their first five picks. We couldn’t quite get that completed by the time the draft began, but that doesn’t mean we can’t guess some picks on day two of the draft (rounds 3-10).

Our first mock didn’t turn out so great (we went 1-for-30), but then we never claimed to be insiders. We decided to take a different route for this mock, with five MCB contributors each making picks for the Detroit Tigers, and only the Tigers, through the 6th round.

The rules for this exercise were fairly simple:

• Player must be ranked at or below their draft spot on MLB Pipeline’s list
• Players can only be drafted once

Kudos to Matthew, who won the draft lottery and used the first pick on Jace Jung, who the Tigers did end up taking. None of us correctly guessed the Tigers would land Peyton Graham in round two, because by our rules he wasn’t eligible — he was ranked 28th on MLB Pipeline’s list. That’s bad for us, but good for the Tigers.

Our goal with this mock is to introduce you to a small number of the 100+ possible players who might be selected by the Tigers after the second round. The Tigers lost their 3rd round pick when they signed Eduardo Rodriguez (sigh), so we begin in round four, with pick 117 overall:

Detroit Tigers Mock Draft 2.0 – Fourth Round, Pick 117

Pipeline Rank: 121

Matthew says: Detroit goes with a local kid in the fourth round. Irish is a bit farther along than your average high school backstop. Being on the receiving end of Brock Porter’s stuff doesn’t hurt. He’s also got a decent little left-handed swing. The key will be signing him away from his commitment to Auburn.

Pipeline Rank: 136

Jon says: Lipscomb has shown power to all fields and scouts feel he can tap into more over time. He should be able to remain at the Hot Corner defensively.

Pipeline Rank: 123

Ryan says: With Chandler Simpson the Tigers inject some much needed speed into the organization. Before you say Billy Hamilton, it’s important to know Simpson can hit, he lead the NCAA with a .433 average last year. Combine his hit skills and speed and he can handle CF for the team, when Greene needs to move to a corner.

NOTE: In something of a surprise, Simpson was selected by the Tampa Bay Rays with the 70th overall pick. If the Tigers are looking for a speedy college player they may be able to select OF Joe Lampe from Arizona State or USC second baseman Tyresse Turner.

Pipeline Rank: 154

Jake says: It’s mostly a two-pitch profile for now, but the Tigers have done an admirable job of giving arsenals more breadth, especially in the upper minors. It’s a project for a starting role, but his plus fastball may even play up a tick if his destiny is the bullpen long-term.

Pipeline Rank: 139

Chris says: Johnson was a high-octane reliever for Duke in 2021, but his stuff backed up a bit when he moved to the rotation this year. He’s tall (6’6, 200) with plenty of room to add strength, and he shows an above-average slider and an athletic, repeatable delivery. He’s the sort of pitcher who could take off in pro ball.