Detroit Tigers: Perfect Game projects outfielder to be first pick in ’23 draft

Detroit Tigers are projected to take an outfielder in the 2023 MLB Draft.

It’s never too early for draft content. It’s November, and the World Series just ended, but why not get some draft juice flowing early? The Detroit Tigers were projected to take an outfielder with their first draft choice in the 2023 MLB Draft next summer.

Perfect Game USA, the premier scouting service across the country, has released its 2023 MLB Mock Draft 1.0, which came out last week. They had the Detroit Tigers with the eighth overall pick, where they went into the collegiate ranks to take an outfielder with hit-tool and power-tool upside.

The pick was Wyatt Langford, a Junior for the Gators who is coming off of an exceptional Sophomore campaign. Langford is listed as a catcher/first baseman/left fielder on Baseball Reference, though he only played outfield for the Gators in 2022.

Langford is coming off a 66-game season where he accumulated 303 plate appearances. He slashed .356/.447/.719 with nine doubles, three triples, and 26 home runs with 63 RBI. The juice was showing, and is why PG had the Tigers in on him.

He’s turning 21 in a little over a week and is poised for a big season when the Spring rolls around. Here’s a look at how Fall Ball is treating the Junior coming off a breakout season.

He starts with the weight back and hands deep in the load. He has a toe-tap and bat waggle going on early before sinking slightly as the lead leg comes up into a big leg kick. The hands steady themselves and get back as he begins to stride forward.

He lets his weight carry forward but keeps himself in sync. He’s got some serious hand speed with strength in the swing. On this one, you see Langford get the hands to the ball out front and crush it for a home run.

The thing I like most about Langford is that he stays quiet to start. The hands are moving, sure, but it’s a simple setup. Weight back ready to do damage. He gets into the leg lift and drives hard through the zone with strength. It’s easy to like the swing here.

The defense is not horrible, either. He’s able to make plays in left field, even robbing a home run this season. As was mentioned earlier, he’s got some versatility which brings some value to his makeup.

There are reasons to like Langford, but since it’s November, I’m not going to get super deep into how Langford would slot in with the Tigers and whatnot. But from the picture painted above, it’s easy to see how Langford would bring an impactful bat to the Tigers organization.

With a new regime in control, it will be interesting to see what happens, but here’s some early thought on who the Tigers may end up with next summer.