Detroit Tigers Draft: 3 late-round picks to keep an eye on

Detroit Tigers sign prep pitcher Andrew Dunford.

Not all three of these prospects have deals worked out, but in the process of putting this together, prep pitcher Andrew Dunford came to terms on a deal with the Detroit Tigers. The details of his contract & signing bonus are not known, but the two sides were able to agree on a deal.

Dunford is a taller, more physical-looking right-handed pitcher who the Tigers selected with their twelfth-round pick of the 2023 MLB Draft. He comes to Detroit out of Houston County High School in Georgia. He was committed to play for the Mercer Bears at the next level, though, after signing with Detroit, he will be forgoing that commitment.

Dunford is a 6-foot-7, 235-pound right-handed pitcher who two-ways at the high school level, but his stuff on the mound has taken a jump considerably. On the Perfect Game event circuit, Dunford really took some strides and carried that into a fun prep season in the Spring this year.

He has a long, loose frame with tons of whip to the arm stroke. Dunford throws from a higher slot, which creates some angle for hitters and can be a problem. It's a controlled and efficient delivery with obvious extension that stands out from his lengthy frame. He's an athletic mover, given his size, being in good control of his body.

He's got a really good fastball and slider combination that helps him attack hitters. The fastball works the low- to mid-90s with a ton of arm-side sink to it that can be deadly. He pairs it with a slider that gets into the low-80s with a high-tilt sweeper look to it. Another deadly pitch. He also can throw it a little slower with bigger slurvy/curveball action to it. He has a changeup in the mix, but it's mostly a sinker/slider attack.

For the Tigers, it's not that he's some highly touted pitching prospect, but he's someone to keep an eye on to see how he fares in the Tigers' Player Development department. There are some real intriguing traits to work with there that could make him an intriguing arm down the line.