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

Detroit Tigers might have found sneaky upside in Donye Evans.

The Detroit Tigers drafted right-handed pitcher Donye Evans in the 16th round of the 2023 MLB Draft. He spent his first two seasons at Vanderbilt with the Commodores before transferring to UNC-Charlotte for his junior season, ultimately helping him earn his selection.

Evans is another specimen with a huge frame. He's 6-foot-6, 220 pounds, with broad shoulders and long levers that help him operate on the mound. After coming out of high school from his prep days in Georgia, Evans has certainly filled out what was a long & lanky frame, bringing a more physical look to the mound now.

In 2023, Evans threw in 27 games for Charlotte with two starts. He pitched to a 4.70 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and punched out 64 opposing hitters over 46.0 innings. This came after a big summer on the Cape with the Orleans Firebirds, where he was solid.

Evans moves down the mound with some pace to the delivery. He throws from a lower-three-quarters arm slot that can result in some challenging reads for hitters. He attacks hitters early and often, being able to roll up groundballs and use his stuff to be effective.

The right-hander works up into the low-90s on the fastball with good arm-side run to it, and some angle that gives it that sinker look as it runs arm-side. He also mixes in a slider that can be a little cutter-like at times, manipulating it to throw it within a wider velo band.

Essentially, he's got the cutter which he throws with a harder and tighter break up into the low-80s with a more lateral slider with tilt in the mid- to upper-70s. Either way, he mixes all of his pitches well and is able to turn in outs efficiently.

He's another prospect to dream one. He's someone the Tigers could get into the organization and try to really hammer a high-leverage reliever out of. They could very much so turn him into a ground-ball first reliever who comes in and gets the job done.

First, he's got to sign, and the Tigers need to get him through the levels of the organization. But Evans is certainly a player to be excited about as a Tigers fan.