Tigers' return for Casey Mize has one of most ridiculous windups you'll ever see

Of the two players the Tigers got back while shipping Casey Mize off to the Padres, lefty pitcher Kash Mayfield is undoubtedly the more exciting. A first-round pick for San Diego in 2024, he slotted into Detroit's pipeline at No. 6, right behind Tarik Skubal return piece River Ryan. Mayfield, who has yet to make his Tigers organizational debut, was having a so-so year with the Padres' High-A team but still has a lot of potential to mine.

There was less to write home about in lefty pitcher Jackson Wolf, the other part of the Mize package. He was the Padres' No. 16 prospect in 2023 and, coincidentally, made his first (and, to date, only) MLB start against the Tigers at Comerica Park that year, giving up three runs in five innings.

He was traded to the Pirates in August 2023, but DFA'ed and traded back to the Padres in April 2024. He's remained in their minor league system since.

He debuted in Triple-A Toledo on Sunday, pitching four one-hit innings. The performance, of course, drew attention from fans, but so did his ... let's say unorthodox windup.

New Tigers depth arm Jackson Wolf made an admirable first impression in Triple-A Toledo

Of the five prospects the Tigers got for Skubal and Mize, only two — Ryan and Wolf — have any hope of appearing in the major leagues for Detroit this season, and Ryan is a hard maybe, given that he's been sidelined by injury for the majority of 2026. Wolf is the only other player with major league experience (even just a little) who could be ready to face action this year.

He left the Padres organization with a 7.05 ERA in Triple-A, right after being shelled for an eight-run, four-inning appearance. Clearly, though, he clicked into a higher gear when having to make his first impression on his new club. He hadn't pitched a scoreless outing since April 15, and that one only lasted three innings.

It's highly unlikely the Tigers use Wolf as a starter, barring an injury to the existing rotation. Instead, it feels more likely that Drew Anderson, if the starter experiment doesn't work out, becomes a one- or two-inning opener while guys like Wolf take over in long relief behind him.

Of course, given his track record before his Mud Hens debut, the Tigers will want to see more out of him before they bring him back to the majors, but he's off to a good enough start that we'll overlook the windup.

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