Last Chance Saloon: 2025 MLB Draft

[LongLiveMaroth]

https://www.mlb.com/milb/news/mlb-pipeline-mock-draft-july-3-2025?t=mlb-draft-coverage

 

Cunningham dropping to us would be ideal. Reminds me a bit of McGonigal with a good hit tool but uncertainty about is he a 2B or SS. 

[RatkoVarda]

20 minutes ago, LongLiveMaroth said:

https://www.mlb.com/milb/news/mlb-pipeline-mock-draft-july-3-2025?t=mlb-draft-coverage

Cunningham dropping to us would be ideal. Reminds me a bit of McGonigal with a good hit tool but uncertainty about is he a 2B or SS. 

yes please.

i just get the feeling prep SS are what they want; maybe they have the $$$ to maybe force Cunningham, Hall or Pierce to fall all the way to 24? or maybe they luck out and it happens naturally. in addition to questioning his SS future, McGongil was dinged a bit as an older prep player, and that is hurting Cunningham a bit too 

[papalawrence]

I don't spend too much time dissecting profiles. I used to spend hours doing that. I remember the weeks leading up to the 2019 draft. I was really hoping Vaughn or Bleday would fall to Detroit. I liked Greene too, but not as much. If you re-draft that year today, you can argue it would go 1-Whitt, 2-Greene, 3-Caroll.

 

[1984Echoes]

I've stopped most of my pre-draft analysis too. For all 4 sports.

I take a quick look at profiles and think... "hmmm... I like him and him and that guy and..."

And then I forget about them all until after the drafts and take a look at who-we-drafted-profiles.

That's all that matters anyways...

[Tenacious D]

Winning and drafting lower takes the intensity and pressure off for the draft. I trust the front office to make an informed selection.  It is exciting that we also have the 35th sick

[LongLiveMaroth]

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/45677790/2025-mlb-draft-guide-one-big-question-intel-nationals-angels-mariners

Detroit Tigers
Day 1 picks: No. 24, No. 34, No. 62, No. 98
Bonus pool: $10,990,800

One big question: Will the Tigers hit paydirt with another left-handed-hitting prep position player?

Bryce Rainer, Max Clark and Kevin McGonigle have all been immediate hits in pro ball for the Tigers after being taken with first-round picks in the past two drafts.

There are some candidates to continue the trend when the Tigers pick at 24 and 34, including Kayson Cunningham, Jaden Fauske, Slater de Brun and Sean Gamble, though the Tigers have also been tied to Michael Oliveto (may fit better in the second round) and Coy James (right-handed hitter).

When a team has two early picks, it often gets tied to lots of players because, in different scenarios, it could go over or under slot or high school or college or hitter or pitcher at each spot. Anthony Eyanson, Aaron Watson and J.B. Middleton are some of the pitchers the Tigers have been tied to, and keep an eye on Jaiden LoRe (another right-handed-hitting shortstop) as a target at a later pick.

 

[chasfh]

On 7/4/2025 at 4:47 PM, papalawrence said:

I don't spend too much time dissecting profiles. I used to spend hours doing that. I remember the weeks leading up to the 2019 draft. I was really hoping Vaughn or Bleday would fall to Detroit. I liked Greene too, but not as much. If you re-draft that year today, you can argue it would go 1-Whitt, 2-Greene, 3-Caroll.

 

When I first saw this I thought, i would definitely take Carroll before Riley. Looking at the records side by side they’re a lot closer than on all fronts that I thought, except running. If Riley can stay off the List, they might end up with really similar careers and shots at the Hall.

[chasfh]

On 7/4/2025 at 11:36 PM, Tenacious D said:

Winning and drafting lower takes the intensity and pressure off for the draft. I trust the front office to make an informed selection.  It is exciting that we also have the 35th [pick]

Fun fact: Kevin McGonigle is a 37th over all pick.

[RatkoVarda]

On 7/4/2025 at 5:47 PM, papalawrence said:

I don't spend too much time dissecting profiles. I used to spend hours doing that. I remember the weeks leading up to the 2019 draft. I was really hoping Vaughn or Bleday would fall to Detroit. I liked Greene too, but not as much. If you re-draft that year today, you can argue it would go 1-Whitt, 2-Greene, 3-Caroll.

 

Rutshman looked like a HOF pick for 2 years, but catchers endure so much abuse

[LongLiveMaroth]

Law has us taking a Gamble (I'll see myself out).

 

Sean Gamble

 

 

Player Profile

School: IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.), Bats: L, Throws: R

Gamble is the kind of high-upside athlete Tigers scouting director Mark Conner has always favored, and the IMG Academy infielder — although I think he moves to center eventually — has such a strong commitment to Vanderbilt that I think he either goes in the first round or goes to school. I think the Tigers would take Hall if he’s here, and they could take a fast-moving college arm here like Riley Quick. They pick again at 34.

[LongLiveMaroth]

BA is on the Cunningham train now as well.
https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/2025-mlb-mock-draft-6-0-first-round-pick-predictions-for-every-team/

24. Tigers — Kayson Cunningham, SS, Johnson HS, San Antonio

The Tigers have targeted hitterish high school hitters as much as any team in recent years and Cunningham’s bat would be a steal at this pick. He’s got a few potential landing spots in front of this, but some in the industry think he has a chance to fall into the 20s because of his size. Kevin McGonigle comparisons would take off if this happened. 

34. Tigers — Riley Quick, RHP, Alabama

I’ll continue to stick with Quick here for the Tigers since I don’t feel more confident with any other player. He’s one of the most physical pitchers in the draft with one of the hardest fastballs, and could take a huge step forward in a good pitching development system.