Detroit Tigers 2023 MLB Draft Day Two Recap

Coming off a very interesting first day of the 2023 MLB Draft which saw the Detroit Tigers load up on hitters with their early picks, the second day came with a lot of questions regarding how the Tigers will proceed.

First, while the Tigers have the second highest draft bonus pool at $15,747,200, they picked some guys early on that are not going to be cheap. Max Clark was one of top talents in the entire draft and Kevin McGonigle is a very highly regarded prep bat that may require an overslot bonus to sign. There is also the question of whether Detroit would pivot to adding some pitching after going position player heavy on day one.

Who did the Detroit Tigers pick on day two of the 2023 MLB Draft?

Below you will find all of the draft picks the Detroit Tigers made on the day two of the draft with some quick notes on each guy. We will be doing a deeper dive into the Tigers' draft class later on, but this should give folks a quick guide as to what went on on day two.

3rd Round Pick: LHP Paul Wilson - Lakeridge HS (OR)

Well, the Tigers definitely had at least some money to start the day. Wilson is one of the better prep lefties in the entire draft with a low to mid 90's fastball, a power curveball that flashes plus, and a changeup that has potential. Signing him away from an Oregon State commitment won't be cheap.

4th Round Pick: 3B Carson Rucker - Goodpasture Christian School (TN)

Given that he is a Tennessee commit, picking Rucker here seems to show that the Tigers had a decent amount of money left over for overslot picks for day two. Rucker played shortstop in high school and has some really intriguing raw power, but the Tigers picked him as a third baseman. Very solid prep bat in the fourth round here.

5th Round Pick: RHP Jaden Hamm - Middle Tennessee State Univ.

The Tigers add another arm in Hamm. Hamm's calling card is a hammer curve ball, but he also has a fastball that can touch the mid-90's and a changeup that lags behind. Hamm is going to need some refinement to consistently command the ball and there is a decent bit of reliever risk here.

6th Round Pick: C Bennett Lee - Wake Forest

The Tigers added a catcher from one of the best college teams in 2023 in Bennett Lee. Posted a .907 OPS this season after transferring from Tulane. Catchers who can hit a bit have a lot of value and Lee doesn't seem like a guy that is going to cost much to sign.

7th Round Pick: SS John Peck - Pepperdine

Interesting pick here as Peck had a really good sophomore season, but mechanical issues with his swing resulted in his hit tool backing up. Peck has a chance to stick at shortstop and if the Tigers can fix him, there is some upside with this late day two pick.

8th Round Pick: RHP Jatnk Diaz - Hazleton Area High School (PA)

Not a lot of information available on Diaz, but a day two high school pick is always going to be interesting. Pitched well in the MLB Draft League and already has throws his fastball in the mid-90's. Could be a real diamond in the rough here.

9th Round Pick: RHP Hayden Minton - Missouri State

We are firmly in senior sing territory here, but the Tigers could do a lot worse with a senior sign than Minton. He was very inconsistent this season, but the fastball flashed plus in the past. Most likely minor league roster filler, but there is a chance Hayden could be more than that.

10th Round Pick: LHP Andrew Sears - University of Connecticut

The Tigers' last pick on day two was college lefty in Andrew Sears. A bit raw for a college arm as he has limited D1 experience, but his slider should be a weapon for him and he throws from a tough arm slot for lefties to pick up. Sears seems like he could be headed to the bullpen, but has a chance to be an effective relief arm particularly as a lefty specialist.