The Detroit Tigers selected Auburn pitcher Casey Mize with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft on Monday night. Mize was chosen over other top prospects such as Georgia Tech catcher Joey Bart, Florida pitcher Brady Singer and Oregon State infielder Nick Madrigal.
Mize, 21, has widely been considered the top prize in this year’s draft class. There had been proponents of Bart, who was projected as the No. 1 pick in ESPN’s final mock draft, as well as Madrigal, the sweet-swinging second baseman who was the preferred pick of Peter Gammons on MLB Network’s pre-draft show.
But the Tigers didn’t move away from Mize, who had been tied to them for much of the process leading up to Monday. The pitcher brings everyone you want to the table, including filthy stuff and a good frame (6-3, 220 pounds). Ultimately Detroit couldn’t pass on someone who could be anchoring their starting rotation in the near future.
Mize posted a 2.95 ERA with 151 strikeouts and 12 walks in 109.2 innings with Auburn this season. The year before, he had a 2.04 ERA with 109 strikeouts and nine walks. The pitcher joins a strong group of Tigers prospects including Franklin Perez, Matt Manning, Alex Faedo and Beau Burrows.
