5 collegiate draft prospects Detroit Tigers fans should monitor this spring

It's that time of the year once again. The college baseball season is here, and the talk amongst baseball fans. Spring Training will captivate some, but college ball is another animal, and there's definitely a reason for Detroit Tigers fans to pay attention in 2024.

The Detroit Tigers pick 11th in the 2024 MLB Draft, and they will only have two picks inside the top fifty. It's a top-heavy class, and the talent falls off a bit; it's not chock-full of uber-talented players as other drafts have been. With that in mind, Detroit must make the most of its picks.

This draft class, in particular, is heavy on college talent, being geared heavily towards collegiate bats in the top half of things. After that, there will likely be a run on collegiate arms. It will be interesting to see what the strategy entails for the Tigers.

With only two picks in the Top 50, they likely have more bonus money to throw around, leaving them an opportunity to sign over a slot or really secure a player if they want them. If not, they could save money for later rounds to help supplement lower slots or just save some money for UDFAs.

All told, the UDFA route might be good to help add to the farm system with some proven college players looking to prolong their playing careers. Either way, as LSU looks to defend its National Championship and the rest of college baseball looks to dethrone them, it's a fun time to be a baseball fan.

Detroit Tigers fans should keep tabs on these 5 prospects this spring.

Michael Sirota, OF, Northeastern

In one of the early Mock Drafts published by Perfect Game, the Detroit Tigers were selected to take Michael Sirota. The right-handed hitting outfielder has a toolsy profile that could get more and more attention with another loud spring. While North Carolina's Vance Honeycutt has a lot of attention as the twitchy and athletic outfielder on this year's draft board, Sirota is up there.

Michael Sirota is an uber-athletic 6-foot-3, 187-pound outfielder capable of playing all over the grass. He's toolsy in all five categories, with the potential to translate these tools to the next level. He's a right-handed bat, Connecticut native, and was drafted in the 16th round of the 2021 MLB Draft by the Dodgers but opted to attend school.

He bet on himself, and it worked out. Sirota's coming off a 55-game season in 2023, where he slashed .346/.472/.678 nine doubles, four triples, and 18 home runs with 54 RBI. He walked 44 times last season with just 49 punchouts while swiping 19 games on 21 attempts.

Sirota has a more closed setup with his stance and quick hands with an innate feel for the barrel. There's tons of polish that shows, with an exceptional feel for the strike zone. It translates to a great approach, spitting on bad pitches, not chasing often, and working on the barrel when the bat comes off the shoulder.

He hits the ball hard and hits it well, with some juice that's raw but projects. Being with Northeastern, he's not going to get the publicity that an LSU or Wake Forest hitter will, but he's someone who could very much so move up the board this spring. Keep an eye on Sirota this spring.

Tommy White, 3B/1B, LSU

Another collegiate prospect who will rise on many draft boards this spring is LSU's Tommy White. He's someone who could be in a position to be selected by the Detroit Tigers as one of the most exciting power-hitting corner infielder this class has to offer. It will be interesting to see how things shake out, but White is someone that fans need to monitor.

Conversely to Sirota, White plays for the defending national champions and will have a ton of attention and spotlight on him as LSU looks to "run it back" in 2024. White transferred into LSU for the 2023 season after a fantastic introductory as a Freshman in 2022 with N.C. State.

White is a 6-foot-1, 228-pound frame with a ton of strength in a physical frame. It's a right-handed stance that's wider with tons of power that projects to translate at the next level. There's some serious juice here, with 51 home runs in his college career and juice that grades out exceptionally well.

In 2023, he slashed .374/.432/.725 with 24 doubles, 24 home runs, and 105 RBI overall for LSU, with 23 walks and 41 punchouts. His in-zone whiffs could be cut down, but that's merely splitting hairs on a profile that bleeds tons of power and strength. He's labeled a corner infielder, and in the long-term, it projects for first base, but he's also played the hot corner for LSU.

While the in-zone whiffs can be a knock, there's also a massive amount of upside with two-strike hitting that gives him a boost right back. This clip shows how simple and smooth the two-strike approach is from White, staying short to it and using his feel for the barrel and raw power to just muscle balls and work on the barrel.

The point is, there's a lot of upside here with White, and he's someone that fans need to keep an eye on this spring as LSU looks to defend its national championship.

Brody Brecht, RHP, Iowa

This spring, the Iowa Hawkeyes will have a star-studded rotation, but their primary arm will be making some serious noise. The Detroit Tigers fans should key in on this, as Brody Brecht is a flamethrowing right-handed pitcher who could garner serious attention ahead of this summer's draft.

A former wideout on the gridiron, Brecht has a downright electric arm with a power arm profile and a ton to like that could leave Tigers fans drooling come draft day. This year will be a big test for him to move further up the draft board in the first round or potentially slip further down.

Brecht has thrown 104 mph in a collegiate game and has a lightning-quick arm with a fastball that he holds velocity on quite well. Pair that with a wipeout slider with filthy depth, and reports from Iowa's camp state that this pitch has only improved further this off-season, which is something else to watch for this spring.

In 2023, after his breakout performance, Brecht finished the year with 16 starts and one relief appearance, where he pitched to a 3.74 ERA and a 1.27 WHIP over 77.0 innings of work. He walked 61 batters while striking out 109 opposing hitters along the way.

He's a 6-foot-4, 235-pound frame and build with projectable body of a big-league arm. With power stuff and the potential to have improved the arsenal even further this year, it could be a big spring. Keep an eye on Brecht & the Hawkeyes this spring to see what he does. He could certainly move into the top half of the first round of the 2024 MLB Draft.

Seaver King, SS/OF, Wake Forest

While LSU is the favorite of most to win this year's College World Series, Wake Forest will certainly have something to say, with a star-studded rotation and lineup with tons of prowess top-to-bottom. One of the newcomers who will provide plenty for this lineup will be Wingate transfer Seaver King, who the Detroit Tigers fans need to have their eyes on.

King comes to Wake Forest as a shortstop and outfielder with the athleticism and twitch to play wherever the Deacs need him. He's deemed a five-tool upside player, excelling in all assets with traits that should translate to the next level. He's a 6-foot, 190-pound frame, hailing from Georgia.

In 2023, King slashed .411/.457/.699 with 20 doubles, five triples, and 11 home runs over 53 runs driven in. He had 18 walks and 26 strikeouts over 219 at-bats while swiping 13 bags on 14 attempts. He then went to the Cape Cod league over the summer, slashing .424/.479/.542 with five extra-base hits and nine RBI over 59 at-bats.

There's a lot of excitement about what King could bring to the Wake Forest lineup in 2024. It's a really simple right-handed stroke with a good feel to get on a plane with pitches and some quickness to launch. There's strength to get on the barrel and lift the ball. Quick hands and jump off the barrel that are a recipe for success.

If King can come out and prove himself with Wake Forest in 2024, he could fly up draft boards. He had a massive year in 2023 with Wingate, parlaying that into a loud summer on the Cape. Now, he'll have the chance to try to replicate his success with Wake Forest in the spotlight.