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.

Detroit Tigers Mock Draft 2.0 – Sixth Round, Pick 177

Pipeline Rank: 192

Jon Says: Strong left-handed swing. Good plate approach, draws lots of walks and doesn’t strike out a lot. Probably a DH long term because he is not a strong fielder.

Pipeline Rank: 200

Jon says: Maxwell is a 6’7 dude who rocks a dad bod…double chin, puffy physique, belt under the gut…but he also pumps 98-mph gas and has an occasionally vicious curveball Jim Price will gladly call a “yellow hammer.” Maxwell might look like a sweaty guy who’s drinking a beer in his garage after mowing the lawn who gets a call saying “we need ya to pitch tonight”…but he’s got potential to be a bullpen factor.

Pipeline Rank: 139

Ryan Says: Farr has a high-octane fastball that he throws downhill from a three quarters arm slot. His changeup is solid above average and he has flashed a good new curveball that he developed over the pandemic. His control and command are concerning, but he should be a strong high-leverage reliever even if he can’t command well enough to profile in a big league rotation.

Pipeline Rank: 180

Jake says: A closer who may get the chance to start, Prosecky has the physical frame the Tigers tend to look for with their starter selections. Velocity from the left side is valuable even in a bullpen, though, and he has shown the ability to touch 97 with his fastball—so it would be fascinating to see what Detroit’s vision for Prosecky would be in pro ball.

Pipeline Rank: 206

Chris says: If the Tigers were keeping an eye on Peyton Graham in the College World Series then perhaps they also saw David Sandlin’s dominant performance in the semifinals against Texas A&M. Sandlin’s season numbers (5.59 ERA, 15HR in 95IP) are a bit ugly, but he flashed four above-average pitches while striking out 12 Aggies over seven innings of one-run ball.