Last Chance Saloon: 2025 MLB Draft

[LongLiveMaroth]

Surprised he got the full amount as a senior. I was expecting a underslot deal here.

 

[Longgone]

1 hour ago, LongLiveMaroth said:

Surprised he got the full amount as a senior. I was expecting a underslot deal here.

 

I think he was a redshirt junior, due to the TJ.

[Shinzaki]

ESPN analysis says Leys is likely to reach the majors 1st of all our drft picks.  CALL HIM UP NOW!!

[casimir]

17 hours ago, Tenacious D said:

Mayo could have been wrong or, hopefully, Dumensil just had a bad year and recoups that potential.  I don’t mind the strategy at all if the Tigers believe in the latter.

[LongLiveMaroth]

12 minutes ago, casimir said:

Mayo could have been wrong or, hopefully, Dumensil just had a bad year and recoups that potential.  I don’t mind the strategy at all if the Tigers believe in the latter.

He was ranked in the 50's with BA which I trust more so I was happy to see them pick him up. 

[casimir]

1 minute ago, LongLiveMaroth said:

He was ranked in the 50's with BA which I trust more so I was happy to see them pick him up. 

Yup, first round, 50s, 118th,…. All of those suggest a possible sleeper for an 8th round pick.

[AlaskanTigersFan]

On 7/15/2025 at 4:19 PM, Longgone said:

They wouldn’t have taken Hamilton where they did without the outlines of a deal. Rogers is just insurance if something else goes wrong.

I hope you're right about this. He looks like a stud.

[LongLiveMaroth]

https://www.mlb.com/milb/news/2025-mlb-draft-favorite-picks-pipeline?t=mlb-draft-coverage

Tigers: River Hamilton, RHP (11th round)
In the past, clubs had a night to figure out how much money they could use in Rounds 11-20, when only the overage on bonuses above $150,000 count against the pool. This year, they had an hour break. Detroit seems to believe it can find space for Hamilton, the 99th-ranked player on MLB Pipeline’s Top 250. The Oregon prep right-hander, who has an LSU commitment, is projectable at 6-foot-3, is already up to the mid-90s with his fastball and shows the makings of a solid slider and changeup.

[LongLiveMaroth]

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/45709418/mlb-draft-2025-kiley-mcdaniel-recap-analysis-all-30-teams#det

 

Detroit Tigers

Best value: River Hamilton (11th round) and Ethan Rogers (18th round). I'll presume Hamilton has a deal done, as most 11th-rounders do, and Rogers might be less likely to sign. Hamilton had third-to-fourth round interest as an athletic righty with above-average stuff, and Rogers' interest was even a touch higher, as a lefty into the mid-90s with an average-to-above four-pitch mix.

Quickest to the big leagues: Caleb Leys (fourth round). I mentioned Detroit's interest in Rogers and Leys in the Friday mock. He could be a quick-mover if he's developed in relief because of his mid-90s heater and being a 22-year-old senior.

Sleeper to watch: Malachi Witherspoon (No. 62 overall). Kyson's twin brother had buzz as high as the late 20s and seemed likely to go inside of No. 50, so landing him at No. 62 is a nice value. He isn't that different from Kyson, though just a tick behind in a couple of respects.

One big thought: Doubling down on prep hitters who are missing the prime summer showcase events on their résumé is intriguing with Jordan Yost (No. 24 overall) and Michael Oliveto (No. 34 overall) as their top two picks, but also seems like a strategy in light of their interest in Coy James (bad 2024 summer numbers, better 2023 summer performance) whom the Nats drafted.

Scouting director Mark Conner was the director in San Diego in 2021 when they hit it big with Jackson Merrill with a similar lack of high-level summer at-bats, so maybe Detroit has uncovered a way to find value in the most competitive part of the draft?

 

[LongLiveMaroth]