Detroit Tigers scout Mark Conner on Jordan Yost, Michael Oliveto
Detroit Tigers scouting director Mark Conner talks shortstop Jordan Yost and catcher Michael Oliveto on July 13, 2025, after Day 1 of 2025 MLB Draft.
The 2025 MLB Draft continues from Atlanta on Monday, July 14, with Day 2 and Rounds 4-20.
The Detroit Tigers had four picks throughout three rounds on Sunday, July 13, on Day 1. They selected high school shortstop Jordan Yost in the first round, high school catcher Michael Oliveto in Competitive Balance Round A, Oklahoma right-hander Malachi Witherspoon in the second round and Arizona State left-hander Ben Jacobs in the third round.
The Tigers will have 17 more picks today to add to their organizational depth. They will pick immediately following the Kansas City Royals and before the San Diego Padres in every round.
This is the third draft for Detroit president of baseball operations Scott Harris. Over the past two years on Day 2 of the draft, Harris has picked 20 pitchers, one second baseman, two third basemen, three catchers, one outfielder and five shortstops.
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Follow along below for live updates and get to know each Tigers draft pick on Day 2:
Age: 22.
Vitals: 6 feet 1, 190 pounds.
Bats/throws: Left.
Drafted: Fourth round (No. 129 overall).
The buzz: Leys just finished his redshirt junior year after undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2024. The Middletown, Rhode Island, native came back stronger than ever, dropping his ERA from 4.94 his sophomore year to 2.69 in 2025. He started 14 games with a 5-2 record. Over 67 innings pitched, he allowed 20 earned runs and walked 27 batters, halving his career walk rate. MLB.com’s Sam Dykstra listed Leys as the best draft prospect out of Maine, writing he can reach 96 mph on his fastball while pairing it with a low-80s slider and changeup. Leys was named the American East Pitcher of the Year in 2025. He played quarterback at Middletown High.
Age: 18.
Vitals: 6-1, 175.
Bats/throws: Right.
Drafted: Fifth round (No. 159 overall).
The buzz: A Georgia Tech commit, the teenage righty is the No. 17 prospect out of Georgia, according to Perfect Game. He comes out of North Gwinnett High, the same school that produced Colorado Rockies outfielder Charlie Blackmon. Hall also played quarterback at North Gwinnett. Hall’s fastball — one of his strengths — touches 92-93 mph. His other strong suit is his low-80s slider. Hall marks the fourth straight pitcher the Tigers have taken in the 2025 draft.
Age: 21.
Vitals: 6-1, 195.
Bats/throws: Left.
Drafted: Sixth round (No. 189 overall).
The buzz: A Reno native who plays at Oregon, Grinsell is a lefty whose diverse pitches, rather than any one pitch, make him dangerous. MLB ranked him the No. 190 prospect with his topped-out 92 mph fastball and his 80 mph changeup. His fastball is his most dangerous as it is an “invisible” fastball. Hitters struggle to see it “for two reasons: the impressive extension he gets when throwing the pitch so it gets on hitters in a hurry and the feel he has for his outstanding changeup,” according to MLB. Grinsell didn’t struggle with the move to the Big Ten this year, garnering Big Ten Pitcher of the Year nominations as the Ducks’ Friday night starter and posting a 3.01 ERA. He had 101 strikeouts over 98⅔ innings pitched in 2025. He needs to add more of his breaking balls into his pitch mix, but has the mechanics and the talent to become a full-time pitcher in the MLB.
Age: 20.
Vitals: 6-2, 205.
Bats/throws: Right/right.
Drafted: Seventh round (No. 219 overall).
The buzz: JuCo players are eligible to be drafted at any time, which is how Wetwiska was picked as a 20-year-old entering his junior year. Wetwiska is a two-way player out of Northern Oklahoma College-Enid, a junior college that has yet to produce an MLB player. Wetwiska smashed 18 home runs over 290 plate appearances with the Jets, but the Tigers may be more interested in him as a pitcher. Wetwiska went 7-1 with a 3.54 ERA in his sophomore season with the Jets, striking out more than 10 batters per nine inning and pitching two complete games in 13 starts.
Age: 21.
Vitals: 6-2, 210.
Bats/throws: Right.
Drafted: Eighth round (No. 249 overall).
The buzz: Dumensil comes out of Cal Baptist with monstrous hitting numbers. In his three seasons out of the WAC program, Dumensil slashed .358/.438/.6.32 with 29 home runs and 105 RBIs over 599 plate appearances, helping lift the Lancers to the conference’s best record in 2024. This year, he led the team in 10 offensive categories, including average (.360), runs (53) and a 1.041 OPS with 57 RBIs. He was named 2025 WAC Player of the Year. He played primarily as a center fielder, but got time at all three outfield positions in college. He also played all three outfield positions during his stint in the Cape Cod summer league last summer with the Brewster Whitecaps.
Age: 21.
Vitals: 6-4, 225.
Bats/throws: Right/left.
Drafted: Ninth round (No. 279 overall).
The buzz: Heishman was a top pitcher for the perennial powerhouse St. John Bosco team out of Bellflower, California, which won the 2025 CIF-SS Division 1 title in 2025 and was ranked No. 3 in the nation by MaxPreps.
The big lefty stands 6 feet 4, 225 pounds, with a fastball that hit 91 mph at a recent showcase. The 18-year-old has committed to the University of Memphis and was ranked the 6th best lefty in California by Perfect Game.
Age: 20.
Vitals: 5-8, 205.
Bats/throws: S/Right.
Drafted: Tenth round (No. 309 overall).
The smallest player taken by the Tigers so far, Espinal is a switch-hitter out of Canovanas, Puerto Rico and Viera, Florida. He spent two years at Chipola College before transferring to the University of Central Florida.
The Tigers drafted Espinal as a catcher, but he’s spent most of his time in the field as an infielder rather than behind the plate. In the last year with the Knights, he played 33 games at 2B and 13 as designated hitter.
“The Tigers are going to convert him to behind the plate,” MLB draft analyst Jonathan Mayo said on the broadcast. “He’s got the right body and arm action and the leadership skills you like to see from there. … He has a chance to be a pretty decent catcher.”
While teams may not have seen Espinal play catcher, they’ve certainly watched him hit. Espinal slashed .335/.434/.470 with 41 runs, 47 RBI and 4 home runs, significantly improving on his sophomore year at Chipola. He finished third on the team in OBP with .434 and had a 28-game reached base safely streak at one point this year.
Espinal is not the first in his family to join the MLB. His older brother, Alan, played at Vanderbilt and is now a catcher in the Rockies’ system.
Round 11
The Tigers select 339th.
Round 12
The Tigers select 369th.
Round 13
The Tigers select 399th.
Round 14
The Tigers select 429th.
Round 15
The Tigers select 459th.
Round 16
The Tigers select 489th.
Round 17
The Tigers select 519th.
Round 18
The Tigers select 549th.
Round 19
The Tigers select 579th.
Round 20
The Tigers select 609th.
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Contact Matthew Auchincloss at mauchincloss@freepress.com.