Detroit Tigers draft board: 3 prep favorites & 3 college favorites

Detroit Tigers should go out west and grab Raffaele Velazquez.

He may not be someone that many folks on the east coast know too much about, but the Detroit Tigers should have Raffaele Velazquez on their draft board. He's got plenty of exciting tools and will be one of the best prep hitters to come off the board.

The Detroit Tigers should ensure they have Velazquez on their draft board heading into this year's draft. He could make a real impact within the Tigers organization as he continues to develop and improve his tools on the road to the big leagues.

The Tigers need themselves a catcher, as has been made clear by the lack of catching prospect depth. However, Velazquez would take time anyways. Plus, to work backward on this profile, the knock on him is that his catching could be inconsistent, and he may be better suited for first or third base.

But he's a high-school senior with a track record of catching, so there's a belief he can do it at the next level. It may very well be a trial-and-error type thing, where they put Velazquez behind the dish and just see how it plays out.

The real intrigue and carrying tool here will be Velazquez's hit tools. He's got a 6-foot-2, 215-proud frame with plenty of physicality and strength. He's committed to playing at Arizona State but very well could end up in a team's farm system come draft time.

He's a left-handed hitter with a really fluid operation. He works from a wide stance, with his hands up high. The hands get deep before he works through the zone with tons of barrel control. He's got a quick leg lift, getting the front foot down and driving hard through the zone.

He's shown off restraint in the box; working counts deep as well. He's not afraid to take and hunt his pitch, doing damage. The results are often loud, which is another reason that he should be able to stick behind the plate and let his bat do the talking.

The Tigers should be looking to try and grab Velazquez if the opportunity presents itself. He's someone the Tigers should make sure that they are doing their due diligence on this spring.