Not that it’s ever so easy to predict a team’s first round pick, but it’s particularly difficult now that the Tigers are drafting much later in rounds. They make take the best player available at the spot, but they’re also likely to be even more focused on spreading their bonus pool far and wide to sign as many talented prep players as possible. The past two drafts they’ve really done their homework on players’ willingness to sign, and the farm system should be all the better for it in a couple of years as those players start to mature.

At the same time, they’ve landed Kevin McGonigle, Max Clark and Bryce Rainer with two first round and one competitive balance round A selections in their first two drafts running the Detroit Tigers. They hopefully won’t have the luxury of a top pick in the draft for many years to come, but they’ve already managed to prime the system very well for the long-term future of the franchise. To keep it going, they’ll have to be even more creative this time around.

The Tigers will no doubt cast a wide net once again throughout the high school ranks. However, in the early rounds we can at least suggest some players that either make sense based on the recent draft history, or who national sites believe the Tigers might target. With the college regular season wrapped up and the 2025 amateur draft less than six weeks away, let’s take a look a little sampler.

OF Slater de Brun, Summit HS (OR)

The likely first-rounder most recently paired with Detroit by the experts over at MLB Pipeline, de Brun bears similarities to a Max Clark, making him an easy fit for what we know the Scott Harris-led Tigers value. The undersized outfielder is praised by his supporters and detractors alike for his contact profile and intelligence at the plate. He has a premium on-base profile and the physical abilities to be a pest once he gets on the basepaths. The tools aren’t quite as high end as in the case of Clark, but there is a lot to work with.

His top shelf pitch selection helps him access every ounce of his raw power. Unfortunately, what raw power he has is limited. With a 5-foot-9, 180 pound frame, he’s already built well for his size without a whole lot of projectability to dream on. He has the look of someone who will contribute an annual 15 homers at the major league level. De Brun has made gains in that department — it’s hard to imagine he still has mere 20-grade present power as is reflected in FanGraphs’ somewhat older scouting report, and Perfect Game reported that he has posted multiple 100+ mph exit velocities in games.

If Detroit drafts de Brun, they will need to be convinced that he can be an eventual center fielder and table setter at the top of the lineup. Vanderbilt commits like de Brun are notoriously expensive to sign away from school, and the Tigers don’t have quite the same financial freedom in the draft as they’ve enjoyed in recent years. Harris is hardly a risk-adverse drafter, so it wouldn’t shock anyone if this is his guy in the late first round, but they probably won’t get much of a discount here either. If the Tigers go with de Brun their analysis presumably projects more power than earlier reports suggested.

Draft stock: Late first round

Spent some time at Driveline today getting to know Bend, Oregon outfielder Slater de Brun. Big personality. Kid has packed on muscle this winter. Working to more consistently create more backspin. Vanderbilt commit. pic.twitter.com/LFnIaXM5BS

— Joe Doyle (@JoeDoyleMiLB) January 7, 2025

RHP JB Middleton, Southern Miss

Middleton is a smaller guy from a smaller school but you’d be remiss to assume his profile won’t play at the professional level. The six-foot right-hander made a successful transition from relief to the starting rotation this year and became the ace of his staff. He struck out 122 against 25 walks over 105 1⁄3 innings, demonstrating better finesse than in previous years and overpowering Sun Belt hitters with three above average pitches.

According to MLB Pipeline, the fastball comes in two shapes, throwing a sinker at the bottom of the zone and one at the top of the zone with carry. It tops out at 97 miles an hour. Middleton’s out pitch is a high spin breaking ball with sharp tilt and depth in the upper 80’s and he has the feel to power up on it for more cutterish shape and still locate well to his glove side. His changeup flashes plus at times as it tumbles its way away from lefties. All three pitches can elicit swings and misses in the zone, and they combine to create a profile that suppresses opponents’ power output.

This pitch mix suggests an affinity for the way Tigers coaches have developed the team’s top pitching prospects over the past three years or so. The high fastball/cutter combination with feel for a changeup sounds like catnip for this organization, but his sinker also helps him keep the ball out of the air effectively and gives him another dimension. They’ll need to believe Middleton can build himself up to sustain 94-95 mph consistently despite his somewhat modest frame but his extension helps him a little in that regard. Harris may have a reputation for gambling on talented high schoolers, but he’s not afraid to dip into the college ranks for the right guy. Middleton could be the guy, particularly if he slips into the Comp A round and Harris and his staff think there is enough upside remaining in his profile.

Draft stock: First round fringe

OF Cam Cannarella, Clemson

Cannarella wasn’t ranked among MLB Pipeline’s top draft prospects his senior year of high school, but he has done nothing but rake since the instant he stepped onto Clemson’s campus. A career .360/.453/.551 batting line only tells part of the story. He played through a shoulder injury and sold out for power as a sophomore, but corrected course in 2025 and walked more than he struck out as a result.

Few players in this draft class have a sweeter line drive stroke than Cannarella. Unfortunately, he doesn’t demonstrate the greatest swing decisions, which prevents him from being a potentially plus hitter. Additionally, his power potential seems capped due to his slim build. On the other hand, there’s little doubt about his defensive ability. In a rare moment of harmony between FanGraphs and MLB Pipeline, both scouting services rate him as a plus center fielder thanks to his great speed and instincts.

At the moment, Cannarella looks like a player on the first round fringe, where the Tigers have their second selection in the upcoming draft. He’ll move through the minors at the rate his bat allows him to do so. Even if the bat never comes around, there’s a decent shot he could become a fifth outfielder on the basis of his defense alone. If the Tigers think they can develop the approach and potential power output, they could view Cannarella as a nice value in the Comp A round and try to save some bonus pool money for the inevitable wave of prep players they’ll stockpile through the draft.

Draft stock: First round fringe

OF/1B Josiah Hartshorn, Orange Lutheran HS (CA)

Orange Lutheran High School has sent its fair share of players to the professional ranks, including current big leaguers Gerrit Cole and Garrett Mitchell. Hartshorn isn’t a prospect on the level those players were during their draft years, but he’s interesting because of his well rounded profile and power potential. It had been a while since we’ve seen him at 100 percent health — issues in his elbow and back troubled him throughout high school — but his senior season was injury free and he had his best campaign since getting on the draft radar.

Despite average height, scouts love his physicality because he has a great frame and has done well to already build strength into his game as a teenager. Hartshorn is a switch hitter with juice from both sides of the plate. He matches that strength with enough understanding of the strike zone to project average hitting ability. There was some concern earlier in his career that he would be a first base only athlete at the next level, but he’s looked passable in the outfield on the showcase circuit. A transition may yet be in his future, but the team who drafts him will give him every chance to make it work in the corners.

Hartshorn will be 18 years and 6 months old on draft day, which may cause some model-driven teams to look elsewhere for a younger prep player with similar upside. With his injury problems in the rearview, he seems like a possible fit for the current Tigers regime who have hunted undervalued high schoolers who slip through the cracks on draft day.

Draft Stock: Third round