The MLB Draft remains a few months away yet, but there appears to be player emerging who seems suited for the Detroit Tigers, according to analysts.
MLB Pipeline on Tuesday night released its first “official” mock draft for 2025, and slotted prep outfielder Slater de Brun to the Tigers at No. 24.
If that name sounds a little familiar, Baseball America also pegged the standout from Bend (Oregon) Summit High School for the Tigers in its last mock draft in mid-April.
“As a smaller, lefty-hitting sparkplug from the Pacific Northwest,” MLB Pipeline’s Jim Callis writes, “de Brun has a lot of similarities to Corbin Carroll at the same stage of their careers.”
Should the Tigers go that route, it would be the third straight high school prospect selected by the Tigers at the top of their draft since Scott Harris took over as president of baseball operations, following outfielder Max Clark in 2023 (No. 3 overall) and shortstop Bryce Rainer in 2024 (No. 11).
In its scouting report, MLB Pipeline sizes up the 5-foot-10, 187-pound de Brun as a hitter who boasts “impressive bat-to-ball skills with an advanced eye at the plate, understanding that his job is to put the ball in play and get on base, then using his well-above-average speed on the basepaths.”
Former Orchard Lake St. Mary’s standout Ike Irish is projected to go three spots ahead of the Tigers pick, with the Houston Astros selecting the Auburn catcher/outfielder at No. 21.
In 42 games with Auburn, Irish is hitting .335, leading the team in home runs (12), RBIs (42) and slugging percentage (.646).
“Irish can make a case for having the best combination of hitting ability, power and plate discipline among college hitters,” Callis writes. “As a result, teams would rather have him maximize his offense as a right fielder than try to make him a catcher.”
The 2025 MLB Draft is July 13-14 in Atlanta.
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