Detroit Tigers draft board: 5 prospects to keep in mind for the first 5 rounds

Detroit Tigers should invest in prep arm Garrett Baumann

Before you give me the riot act in the comments for suggesting the Detroit Tigers select a prep arm. He's someone that could very well be a "sleeper" pick. Not that he's an unknown talent, but someone who's all over many of the consensus draft boards, but the makeup is worth considering taking as an investment down the line.

Riley Greene might have a thing or two to say about this pick, as Garrett Baumann is an Oviedo, Florida native, and the two work out with one another in the off-season. Baumann has a ton of really intriguing aspects to him that make him worth a look in this summer's draft. He's committed to the University of Central Florida but will likely not step foot on campus.

First, he's an insane, 6-foot-8, 240-pound frame, and he's got the build of a massive and physical right-handed pitcher. For a big man, he moves exceptionally well with a repeatable delivery and fluid operation.

He starts upright, facing home from the wind-up, peering over his glove at the hitter before he gets a side-step going, dropping the glove down to belt level, and getting his right foot set on the rubber. He lifts the leg above the belt, around the letters, and then breaks to make his move down the mound.

Given the long levers in his 6-foot-8 frame, he can get that front side extended moving down the mound as he rides the slope. He opens up the front side and gets decent hip-shoulder separation at foot strike; nothing out of this world, but it's still a fluid motion, and he makes adjustments throughout his outings.

He works from a three-quarters arm slot with good arm speed. He's been able to pound the zone throughout his outings and work efficiently on the mound. After a quick clip of Baumann from this Spring at the NHSI event in Cary, North Carolina.

Baumann's got a three-pitch mix with a ton to like about it. His fastball gets into the upper-90s as he comfortably works 91-95 mph on most occasions; he's reached back for 96 and 97 mph, respectively, at Perfect Game events in the past.

The pitch has arm-side sink to it, and out of the three-quarters arm slot, it can be dangerous because the fastball is heavy. He pairs it with a slider with good bite and a spin profile above the 2,400 RPM range.

It can be a high-tilt pitch that he locates in the bottom third of the zone and below, looking for swings and misses. He shows the slider less than the changeup he features but has made strides with the slider, making it a much more effective piece of his repertoire. His changeup is easily his best off-speed pitch.

The changeup works the mid-80s with plenty of tumble to it, inducing a plethora of swings and misses. The pitch is filthy, simply put. He's made strides in better defining his pitch mix, and it looks like he could be a future stud.

The Tigers should take a chance on Baumann in such a large frame with strike-thrower makeup and a pitch mix that is exciting. He's worthy of consideration from the Tigers in this year's draft for sure. They need to keep him circled on their draft board this year as they continue to compile things as the Spring bleeds into summer in the coming months.