5 2026 MLB Draft prospects Detroit Tigers fans need to know

The Detroit Tigers are (kind of) contending in the AL Central, sitting on one of the best farm systems in baseball, and about to make one of the most consequential picks of the Scott Harris era. On July 11 in Philadelphia, they'll be on the clock at pick 22 with $4,082,700 in slot value — and $9,165,100 in total bonus pool to deploy across all 10 rounds.

Detroit's farm system is ranked 4th by Baseball America, 5th by MLB Pipeline, and 6th by ESPN. Kevin McGonigle is the consensus No. 2 overall prospect in baseball. Max Clark is a five-tool center fielder ranked in the top 10. Bryce Rainer and Josue Briceño are both top-40 prospects. Hitters hold the top 9-10 spots in every major ranking — both the organizational strength and the blind spot. ESPN notes five of the top six Tigers prospects could debut by the end of 2026 or early 2027.

The next wave needs pitching, as no Tigers arm cracks the top 10 in any national ranking. With a draft class thin on frontline arms, the opportunity at pick 22 is right in front of them.

Detroit avoided the CBT penalty, meaning they pick with full capital and a pool they can distribute however they choose. If they sign their first-round pick below slot value, those savings flow directly into later rounds.

This is where injury-discounted talent becomes a real lever — a pitcher like TCU's Tommy LaPour, a legitimate 100 mph arm whose injury has spooked the market a bit, could sign under his pre-injury slot projection. That's a first-round ceiling arm at a second-round price, with freed-up money to go above-slot later for the kind of prep arm or college bat this system needs at every level.

Scott Harris has deployed this strategy before — though it's equally worth noting that if Borthwick or a premium college arm is sitting there at 22 and the Tigers are in position to contend in July, Harris has shown he'll spend to the slot and beyond to get the right player. This organization has money, and if the pitching gap feels urgent enough come draft day, don't be surprised if Detroit goes full slot — or over it. Lets break it down.

5 2026 MLB Draft prospects Detroit Tigers fans need to know

Coleman Borthwick, RHP — South Walton HS, Santa Rosa Beach, FL Hometown: Santa Rosa Beach, Florida | BA Staff Mock 2.0: Pick 22 to Detroit

The most current projection for Detroit and the name that fits the organizational need most directly. Borthwick is a 6'6", 255 lb. right-hander committed to Auburn who has been untouchable this spring — no runs, no walks, no hits in 11 2/3 innings, striking out 23 of 38 hitters faced. BA's Carlos Collazo, who made Detroit's pick in Staff Draft 2.0, wrote, "He's got an electric fastball/slider combo with great athleticism for his size and more advanced control than you might expect."

His fastball touches 98 MPH, playing up further off the downhill plane his frame creates. His mid-80s slider has plus potential. BA notes he's "surprisingly athletic" for his size, repeating his mechanics consistently — a trait that lowers the injury risk typical of big prep arms. He hit .300 for Team USA's gold-medal run and won the 2025 All-American Games Home Run Derby as a two-way prospect, but his future is on the mound. Prep Baseball called his 2025 circuit "Skenes-like."

Aiden Robbins, OF — Texas Longhorns Hometown: Bensalem, Pennsylvania | BA Staff Mock 1.0: Pick 22 to Detroit

The name most linked to Detroit earlier in the cycle. Robbins is a 6'2" right-handed outfielder from Bensalem, Pennsylvania — Holy Ghost Prep, two strong years at Seton Hall, now at Texas — slashing .358/.428/.745 with 15 home runs and 10 stolen bases in 38 games, including a hit-for-the-cycle against Michigan State.

ESPN's Kiley McDaniel ranks him 21st nationally, and he won the Cape Cod League batting title last summer. The debate is center field — teams projecting him there see a first-round talent; those skeptical of his defensive fit adjust to a corner bat. For Detroit, which already has Max Clark in center, a right fielder with this contact-power-speed combination is still an excellent return at 22.

Gio Rojas, LHP — Marjory Stoneman Douglas HS, Parkland, FL Hometown: Parkland, Florida | Bless You Boys Mock: Pick 22 to Detroit

The highest-ceiling arm in the draft class, and a player whose early-cycle slide creates real value at pick 22. Rojas is a 6'4", 190 lb. left-hander from Parkland, Florida — Marjory Stoneman Douglas has a consistent track record of producing professional talent — with explosive arm speed, a slingshot delivery, and a three-pitch mix drawing comparisons to the best prep southpaws in recent memory.

His fastball sits mid-90s from a lower arm slot creating unique angles; his slider is a wipeout pitch; his changeup is further along than most prep arms his age. Baseball America ranked him as high as 19th overall. For a Tigers organization building pitching depth from the top, this is the kind of high-upside swing a mid-first-round pick is built for.

Rocco Maniscalco, SS — Oxford HS, Oxford, AL Hometown: Oxford, Alabama | MLB Pipeline Mock 1.0: Pick 22 to Detroit

MLB Pipeline projects Maniscalco to Detroit at 22, and the logic holds even though position doesn't signal need. The Tigers already have McGonigle, Rainer, and 2025 first-rounder Jordan Yost at shortstop. But elite organizations don't draft positions — they draft athletes. Shortstop is where the most athletic players in any class play in high school. Whether they stay there is secondary to what the profile means: arm strength, footwork, body control, baseball IQ. Scott Harris has drafted prep shortstops with four of his last five first-round picks for exactly this reason. Clark plays center. Rainer profiles at third. The position is always the starting point.

Maniscalco reclassified from the 2027 class, making him one of the youngest players in this draft with projection ahead. Pipeline compares him to 2025 No. 1 overall pick Eli Willits — similar athlete, more power, less speed. His hit tool is the carrying skill, his arm is a weapon, and his frame has room to grow. The shortstop depth doesn't disqualify him. For this organization, it's the point.

Tommy LaPour, RHP — TCU Hometown: Blue Springs, Missouri | BA Mock 0.1 (early cycle): Pick 22 to Detroit

LaPour was the Big 12 Preseason Pitcher of the Year after going 8-3 with a 3.09 ERA and 88 strikeouts in 2025, with a 100 MPH fastball that made him a consensus first-round talent. Then in February a flexor strain cost him 8-10 weeks — D1Baseball's Kendall Rogers broke the news as TCU opened Big 12 play. He returned in late April, threw one inning against Houston, and touched 99 MPH. The stuff was there, but whether teams trust the elbow for a first-round investment is now the only question. His floor may have dropped. His ceiling didn't.

The bottom line

Detroit is leading the AL Central with a top-5 farm system and the draft capital to be aggressive on July 11. Borthwick is the highest-upside prep arm in the class with the athleticism to become a frontline starter. Robbins is the safest college bat for a team loaded with offensive depth. Rojas has the highest arm ceiling available this deep in the first round. Maniscalco is the premium athlete this organization has built its draft philosophy around — position TBD, ceiling very much not. And LaPour, healthy and touching 99 again, is a first-round arm at a potential discounted price — which might be the most Detroit pick of all. July 11. Pick 22.

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