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

Further building out the Detroit Tigers Draft Board

The Detroit Tigers 2023 season is off to an abysmal start. It's been nothing short of terrible and brutal to watch. Sure, there's been some things to marvel at here and there, but the negatives outweigh the positives. It's been tough early on and could very well keep getting worse.

For that reason, we continue to work on building out the Detroit Tigers 2023 MLB Draft Board to make sure fans have plenty of names in mind to follow along as the team goes through this year's mid-summer draft.

The Detroit Tigers have to execute well in this draft and come out of it with some "hits" down the line. Not to say they need to hit on all 20 prospects with future Hall of Famers, but they need to be able to look back on the 2023 draft class, and say several big leaguers came from this draft class.

That said, we will dive into six more prospects that the Tigers should have on their draft board. These may not be players for the no.3 pick, as that crowd is made up of some studs we've already highlighted.

However, these are six players that the team should consider taking if given the opportunity. Three of them are players from the prep scene who could be viewed as investment pieces for the long term. Three of them are collegiate products that could have a faster track to the big leagues.

Without further adieu, lets dive into the six prospects. First up, we'll go through the prep players.

Detroit Tigers have to grab Charlee Soto if he's there at no. 37

When the Detroit Tigers make their pick at no. 37 in Competitive Balance Round A, there is no reason why they should not be taking Charlee Soto if he is there. The Kissimmee, Florida product is committed to the University of Florida, but there's no chance he steps foot on that campus to play ball.

The Tigers may not get a chance at him, as he projects to be a late first-rounder, but if he were to slip through and be there when the team picks at no. 37, they need to take him. Yes, he's a prep arm, but there's so much to like with Soto's profile and makeup that make this pick worth it, making him one of my favorites for this draft class.

The likelihood of Soto being there is slim, but it's a no-doubt pick if he does slip through the cracks. The 6-foot-5, 197-pound right-handed pitcher is going to throw 100 someday. He's been up to 99 mph already, but it's a 100+ mph arm easily.

Soto's got a loose arm action with good whip that works smoothly through release. He works with a simple operation on the mound with an efficient move down the mound—more below on that with some video as well.

As you can see from the open-side look at him, he's super balanced and can ride the slope in sync down the mound. It's a super projectable frame and operation on the mound. Not to mention, his fastball consistently works the upper-90s, sitting 95-98 mph.

The fastball command is there, and the pitch gets plenty of whiffs at the prep level. Much different than the backfields, but Soto's stuff projects quite well. He pairs the fastball with upper-80s slider that works 86-89 mph with 10-4 shape with great lateral depth.

He's also got a disgusting changeup in the upper-80s that usually works around 88-89 mph with great depth to it. He chokes the changeup and lets it dip, and the opposing hitters struggle with it. He sequences all three offerings well and gets the job done.

There's just a lot to like with Soto, between the way he moves on the mound and his stuff. He's super athletic and projectable. The Tigers would be committing theft if they got a chance at Soto. He's one of my favorite arms in the draft class, for good reason.

He's made serious strides in defining his pitch mix and it has worked out well for him. The fastball/changeup is his bread and butter, but the slider has taken serious strides in becoming a better part of his arsenal.

Funny enough, I had Soto to project as a bat from my looks at him in 2021. Mostly seeing him swing it at the plate, and the swing was pretty darn solid if you ask me. But Soto's put the bat down and its easily one of the best decisions he could make.

Detroit Tigers need to consider grabbing Liam Peterson.

It's another prep arm out of Florida, but the Detroit Tigers need to make sure they pick up some investment pieces for the future. There's no better gamble than grabbing a prep arm, hoping he can pan out and be something down the road.

Liam Peterson has the tools and makeup that is worth spending a later pick on. He could provide value to the organization down the line, so he's a prep player that the team should have on their draft board heading into this summer's draft.

Peterson is another prep arm that I've had the chance to see progress and continue to develop. He's a 6-foot-5, 200-pound right-handed pitcher who attends Calvary Christian in Tampa, Fla. He's committed to playing for the Florida Gators, but there's little to no chance he will end up on campus.

The right-handed arm starts square to the plate as he toes the slab from the windup, with a side-step before getting into his leg lift around the letters tucked under the hands. He extends well, moving down the slope as he strides. His front side moves exceptionally well.

Peterson works from a three-quarters arm slot with trunk tilt through release and a quick & whippy arm stroke. He's been dominant in his outings and gets the job done for his team. Peterson's fastball has been up to 96 mph and works the mid-90s with plenty of late arm-side run to it.

He pairs the heater with a slider that works the upper-70s and can get up to 80 mph at times. It's a pitch that has good wrinkle with lateral movement and some tilt. It's a pitch that could be fine-tuned, but he can snap off some good ones around 79-80 mph that will miss barrels and do the job. Plus, the spin rate on the slider can get up above 2,700 RPMs often, which is outstanding.

He also has a really good changeup. He turns it over well, and the pitch will disappear on hitters with great depth, working up around 80 mph with great depth. He can throw the pitch and cause some uncomfortable at-bats for opposing hitters.

When it comes to Peterson, the makeup to be a pro arm is there when it comes to Peterson. The task will be progressing him through the ranks of an organization. He has the stuff to do so, but some tweaks and developmental changes over time are what could transform him into a real threat for a big-league rotation.

Peterson's one of my favorite under-the-radar arms from this draft class, especially seeing the tools he has to offer here on the prep circuit and summer showcase circuit. He's got loud stuff; seeing how it pans out for him once he joins a pro organization will be interesting. The Tigers should consider grabbing Peterson if they have the chance to do so.

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.

Detroit Tigers have to be considering drafting Jack Hurley.

Last year as the Detroit Tigers got ready and pieced together their 2022 draft board, Gavin Cross was one of the standout players. He was an absolute stud in the Virginia Tech Hokies lineup last year and was someone I really was hoping the Tigers would target.

That said, Jack Hurley has a similar makeup to Cross. Hurley's patrolling the outfield for the Hokies and needs to be someone that the Detroit Tigers try to target as a part of their draft class in 2023. He's got the potential to show some serious tools for the Tigers organization.

When the Detroit Tigers took Jace Jung in 2022, I was hoping they would grab Gavin Cross instead. The Tigers will have another chance to grab another left-handed hitting Virginia Tech outfielder in Jack Hurley.

The left-hander plays all three outfield positions but is likely to hold down a corner spot, often patrolling left field with the Hokies. He's got a 6-foot, 185-pound frame with an athletic build in a slender frame that works.

For the Cavaliers, Hurley has slashed .341/.413/.780 with 11 doubles, a triple, and 15 home runs with 41 RBI over 132 at-bats across 33 games played. His operation in the box has been great, as he has locked down a role in the Hokies lineup.

In the batters' box, Hurley starts with the feet spread, back elbow up, and a bit of a swaying motion as he gets timed up. He's quick to load and get the hands into a hitting position, and lifting the leg up a good bit.

There's a ton of bat speed in a really fluid move as he works through the zone. Just a ton to like about what Hurley has to offer. Here's an open-side look at his swing, showing off-the-bat speed and ability to get on plane to drive the ball.

There's a good chance that the Tigers may not get a chance to pick Hurley. But the collegiate outfielder can get the job done in the batters' box and should be someone they give some thought to in the 2023 draft. He's not the exact same as Gavin Cross, but if you missed out on one Hokies outfielder, why not grab one the next year?

Hurley has a ton to like in the batters' box. He's able to show off bat speed and the ability to adjust and also separate well—just a lot to like in his operation in the batters' box. Even if the frame is not the most exciting, the abilities are there.

Detroit Tigers have to consider cold weather arm George Klassen.

The Detroit Tigers need to make sure they jump on flame-throwing right-handed pitcher George Klassen if he is there late in the 2023 MLB draft. The University of Minnesota product is no stranger to the cold weather baseball that the midwest brings, and he still is able to throw 100 mph.

It would be a shame for the Detroit Tigers not to do their due diligence on a player like Klassen. He deserves to be on their draft board for the 2023 edition. He's got the makings to be something special in a pro organization, given that he gets into the triple digits on the heater.

While Klassen may not profile out to be a seven-inning shutdown starter, he throws heat and has the relief profile to be a considerable part of a team's bullpen down the line. The right-handed pitcher works from a long and slender 6-foot-2, 170-pound frame.

He works out of the wind-up with an old-school over-the-head full-windup. The hands end up around/below the letters as he gets a higher leg lift up around the letters before riding the slope downhill. Tons of extension in the front side moving down the slope with long levers to help get it done.

Out of the stretch, it's a simpler operation. Leg lift above the belt before working down the mound with a quick and whippy arm action. Tons of trunk tilt with some head whack through release. But it's understandable, as he's working up above the 100 mph mark and holds the upper-90s as a starter for the Minnesota Golden Gophers.

Klassen's fastball will hold the upper-90s and reach up to 100 mph and above at times as a starter. Which leads me to believe he could be more consistently around 100 mph in a shorter outing. The fastball has some arm-side life to it, running a ton.

He pairs it with a slider that has sharper and later bite to it that helps him get it done. The slider works the mid-80s, and he can break it off for strikes and tunnel it off his fastball well. It's a fastball/slider operation that projects as a reliever, but there's plenty of intrigue with Klassen.

He has not been amazing for the Gophers, but it would be worth a later pick to help add a hard-throwing backend bullpen arm to the organization. Klassen has pitched in nine games, eight of them as a starter. He has managed a 5.35 ERA with 27 walks and 32 strikeouts.

The biggest knock on Klassen is command and being able to fill up the zone. But there's reason to believe he would be a late-round backend relief option. After all, he's going to throw triple digits. The command is shaky but worth taking a chance on late if he's still available.