Detroit Tigers focus on prep players in latest Perfect Game Mock Draft

Detroit Tigers focus on prep players in Perfect Game's Staff Mock Draft.

West catcher Ryder Helfrick (29) celebrates with teammates after scoring.
West catcher Ryder Helfrick (29) celebrates with teammates after scoring. / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Springball is underway, and the Detroit Tigers are preparing for the 2024 season. While the focus is on things in Lakeland, college ball and some high school seasons are underway nationwide. For the Tigers' amateur scouting department, this means that it is time to lock in.

With that in mind, the Detroit Tigers fans might wonder which players to watch this spring. The MLB Draft will not happen until the spring, but there are a lot of things that are yet to happen this spring. Perfect Game USA has recently dropped its newest mock draft for the 2024 MLB Draft.

They had their staff get together and make some picks for the league's teams, working through the first 75 picks of this summer's draft. They kicked things off with the Tigers AL Central foe, the Cleveland Guardians. Cleveland owns the first overall pick in this year's draft & Perfect Game has them selecting JJ Wetherholt, the West Virginia product.

The Tigers pick 11th in the first round and have just two picks inside the Top 50 this year. In Perfect Game's Staff Mock, the Tigers made three picks. They picked 11th, 49th, and 73rd in this draft with two "second-round" picks.

Detroit Tigers focus on prep players in Perfect Game Mock Draft.

With their first pick, picking 11th, the Tigers took the second prep player off the board. Konnor Griffin was taken at fifth by the Chicago White Sox, but the Tigers doubled down on prep players. The Tigers selected P.J. Morlando in the Staff Mock.

1:11 - P.J. Morlando, 1B/OF, Summerville HS (SC)

PJ Morlando is a South Carolina native who's heralded as one of the top prospects in this year's prep class. While Griffin will likely hold strong as the top player in this prep class, Morlando is exciting as well. Morlando's a left-handed hitting 1B/OF who has the potential for plus-power down the road. He was super consistent on the circuit last season as well.

2:49 - Carter Holton, LHP, Vanderbilt

With their second-round pick, the Tigers went out and grabbed a Vanderbilt product, Carter Holton. He's a part of their weekend rotation and has a competitive attitude on the mound with a plus-arsenal to pair. He works into the mid-90s on his hater with the ability to come out and attack hitters. As a starter, there's a good upside here, and he would serve as good depth for the organization.

2:73 - Bryce Clavon, SS, Kell HS (GA)

Rounding out the Staff Mock, Perfect Game has the Tigers digging into the Georgia prep scene to grab dual-sport athlete Bryce Clavon. He's the quarterback for his high school, and there's a ton of upside on the baseball field for the Georgia Bulldogs commit. He's a premier athlete with good actions on the infield, seeing some of those quarterback actions looking the part on the diamond. He's got plenty of bat speed to impact the ball well with a quick and athletic swing. He's a dynamic player, and taking the player for his profile alone is intriguing in itself.

Let's keep in mind that this was a February Staff Mock. The draft cycle is just getting to the meaty portion. The college season has begun. The prep season is started in some states and on deck in others, but it is that time for players to make money or lose it in some facets.

With the Perfect Game Staff Mock coming out, it's just three more players for Detroit Tigers fans to watch this spring. It will be a long spring ahead, so fans looking for Draft content, buckle up.

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