Latest draft board update leaves Detroit Tigers in position to take Tommy White

Detroit Tigers in position to select Tommy White.

The Detroit Tigers may not be thinking of the draft right now. There's a lot of spring training news staring people in the face, but with college baseball on the horizon, some folks may be thinking about the draft. Perfect Game dropped their latest draft board earlier this month, providing insight on who to watch this spring.

While draft boards are not a tell-tale sign of which players will go 1, 2, 3 in that exact order, they do offer a good idea as to which players might be available when the Detroit Tigers do pick. Mock Drafts provide a better feel for which players might slot in where, as each organization has its own tendencies in the draft.

But, with the latest draft board being released, let's see who the Tigers would be slated to pick 11th overall if things play out exactly as the board suggests. Perfect Game's latest draft board has Tommy White coming in at no.11. The LSU standout and 2023 National Champion is one of the premier talents in this year's draft class.

White, a junior for the purple and gold Tigers, could wind up being with the navy blue and orange Tigers this July. As he heads into his third year, he hopes he and LSU's 2024 roster can charge back to Omaha and make another run to defend the title. But this isn't about the College World Series; we're talking about White.

He's a corner infielder by trade, and his future position could end up at first base, but he'll be playing third for LSU this spring. He's expected to be good to go for the start of spring after having an off-season surgery, but regardless, he is one of the top college hitters in this class and just a supreme bat overall.

It's a profile carried by the bat, but White has plenty of upside overall. White's got a vastly improved 6-foot, 236-pound frame. When he broke into college ball with N.C. State, he had a bit more of a pudgy body, but the strength still showed after being crowned the ACC Freshman of the Year with 27 home runs in the 2022 campaign.

However, after transferring to LSU, he showed some strides with his frame, looking more physical and adding even more strength. He also improved the bat all around, being a better bat, slashing .374/.432/.725 with 24 doubles, 24 home runs, and 105 RBI overall.

White's one of the best pure power hitters in this draft. He's been an absolute menace with home runs, with 51 total on the career, through two years. I'd expect another loud spring with the stick. Especially if White gets hot, he's known to be streaky and go on some red-hot tears.

In terms of the approach in the box, White's going to whiff in-zone sometimes, but the double-plus power grades are often enough to overlook the whiffs. It's something that could be tightened up this spring, too, depending on how it goes for White with LSU. Expect big things from White; for Tigers fans, he's certainly someone to watch.

Who knows how things will shake out on draft day and White may not be a perfect fit for Detroit, but they certainly will have him in the conversation, the way things stand.