Tag: 2020 MLB draft

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With the first pick in the MLB draft the Detroit Tigers have one option

Embed from Getty Images As players and owners try to hammer out a new collective bargin agreement and we wait for the delayed 2020 MLB season to start whatever it looks like, the 2020 MLB draft takes center stage tonight with the first round. The Detroit Tigers still bound by a rebuild have the first pick. There is one clear-cut player Tigers general manager Al Avila needs to add to the organization.

Arizona State 1B- Spencer Torkelson who is on a tier by himself. The Detroit  Tigers are said to have been zeroed in on Torkelson since the the start of this year’s draft process, it is no wonder after Spencer launched 48 home runs and showed an extremely advanced approach during his first two years at Arizona State.

By adding Torkelson’s power bat to a pitching rich farm system would go a long way for the Detroit Tigers the ongoing rebuild. The Tigers taking Torkelson is close to a slam dunk at this point.

Spencer Torkelson’s scouting numbers are impressive. With 60-HIT, 65-POWER, 50- ARM, 50- FIELD with a 40- RUN for an overall grade of 60.  Torkelson draws fair comparisons to Andrew Vaughn, the University Cal standout 1B who was the No. 3 pick in the 2019 Draft.

Torkelson has scouts drooling with the way he is able to drive the ball from foul pole to foul pole and Tork (a nickname his teammates gave him) uses the middle of the field when he is at his best. Spencer is able to hit the ball out to all fields, with tremendous  power to his pull side.

With a a 16.6% strikeout rate, on the surface does not seem bad. It actually is pretty high. And while because of COVID-19 Tork only had 82 plate appearances in the 2020 season, Spencer Torkelson struck out in 18.3% of his trips to the plate.

For all his power and ability to hit to all fields, the swing-and-miss is a bit of a concern, something the Detroit Tigers will need to help him clean up. That said Spencer Torkelson has to much upside to overlook. The fact he is above average in the field makes this an easy pick for the rebuilding Tigers.

Torkelson should not take much prep work in the minor leagues, that will help speed things up in Motown.

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The Detroit Tigers have been awarded an additional draft pick

Embed from Getty Images Major League Baseball has awarded what they call the competitive balance draft picks since 2012. That is the good news. The bad news, the extra draft pick goes to the worst team in baseball. That team last season was the rebuilding Detroit Tigers.

The Detroit Tigers received an early Christmas gift this week, landing the 69th overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft. The draft slot is sandwiched between the end of the second round and beginning of the third round. This is the first time Detroit has been awarded the competitive balance pick in the organizations history.

In the 2020 MLB Draft in which the Detroit Tigers hold the No. 1 overall pick  they will also receive an additional pick in competitive as a means of speeding up the teams rebuild.

By receiving a competitive balance pick it includes a built in bonus of receiving extra international bonus pool money, The Tigers, picking in round B, will get a minimum of $5.75 million, as opposed to the normal $4.75 million.

Coming off of their worst year since 2003, the Tigers have been in a downhill slide since 2015. Fans want to know when the team will be competitive again. It is probably safe to say 2020 will not be a whole lot better for the Motor City Kitties.

All will not be lost however. 2020 could be the year that Detroit sees top prospects like Casey Mize, Matt Manning, and Isaac Paredes at the major league level during the season.

After the 2020 season, the Detroit Tigers have a lot of old bad contracts coming off the books. That is when the team will begin to add players for the next title run.

It will not be until 2021, when all the organizations top prospects are in Detroit that the team will go after big name free agents. So, if Detroit’s prospects and free agent signings are not complete busts, 2022 is the year that Detroit will  start looking competitive again.

This season and next  look to be rough, but if everything goes well, these tough years could pay off in a big way. Starting in the 2020 MLB season it will be worth checking the progress of the top prospects as they take the next step in development.