Casey Mize was drafted first overall in the 2018 MLB draft. Having shot through the Detroit Tigers minor league system it is time for Mize to make his major league debut tonight as the Tigers take on the Chicago White Sox.
From the day he was drafted Detroit Tigers pitcher Casey Mize became the face of the Tigers rebuild. Pressure? Sure anytime a player is tabbed as “the next great thing,” there is pressure. Do no tell Casey Mize, he is not listening.
Mize has put in his work in the Tigers farm system. Last season in his Double-A (Erie Seawolves) debut, Mize went out and tossed a no-hitter. Mize is always tinkering with his pitch’s. One pitch he does not work on is his split-finger-fastball. Which is Mize’s “out pitch.”
Casey Mize is not wide-eyed heading into his first MLB start. Having been groomed for this type of spotlight since his college days at Auburn, Mize pitched in the tough SEC.
Mize’s pitching counter part and fellow Detroit top prospect Tarik Skubal, faced the White Sox last night and did not have a fairy tale start. Skubal who has not pitched against Double-A and has just two years of pro ball experience was given a baptism by fire.
Skubal clearly feeling the nerves pitched outside of his norm. Nerves will do that to even the great pitchers in the game. After the game Tarik Skubal said he knew what he did wrong and vowed to work on those thing in between start.
Both Casey Mize and Tarik Skubal have the stuff and mental makeup to quickly move past a bad start. They project as long term pitchers for the Detroit Tigers for the foreseeable future.
There will be growing pains. Not just for Casey Mize, Tarik Skubal and Isaac Paredes. But also for the other top Tigers prospects as they approach the major leagues right up to the time they are wearing the Old English D.
Each prospect will have good days and not so good days until they find the consistency needed to play day in and day out.
