Detroit Tigers Boost Outfield, Pitching Depth in Latest MLB Mock Draft

To some, the Detroit Tigers have the best farm system in baseball. But the MLB draft is a chance to boost that reputation even more.

The Tigers have done a great job over the last several years of turning their first-round picks into Major League talent. With two selections, the Tigers could improve their chances of doing it again down the line.

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Detroit has the No. 24 overall pick after the Tigers’ finish last season. Detroit also has the No. 34 overall selection between the first and second rounds, which is a Competitive Balance Round A pick.

Baseball America, which released its latest mock draft earlier this week, projected each of the Tigers’ selections, linking them to a high school outfielder with their first pick and a college pitcher with their second pick.

At No. 24, the Tigers ended up with outfielder Slater de Brun, who plays at Summit High School in Oregon.

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This isn’t the first time that Tigers have been linked to de Brun in mocks leading up to the draft. His speed should allow him to be a center fielder at the big league level.

Carlos Collazo, the writer of piece, described the Tigers as “… the top end of potential outcomes for the speedy center fielder.”

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At No. 34, the Tigers ended up right-handed pitcher Riley Quick from Alabama. The second-team all-SEC pitcher went 8-3 with a 3.92 ERA in 14 starts in 2025, as he struck out 70 and walked 24 in 62 innings. Batters hit .263 against him.

He missed nearly the entire 2024 season after he had elbow surgery.

Collazo wrote that there may be a dearth of college starting pitchers late in the first round, enabling Quick to end up being selected before the draft turns over to the second round.

The Tigers have done well with their last seven first-round picks. Each of their picks from 2018-22 have reached the Major Leagues — pitcher Casey Mize in 2018, outfielder Riley Greene in 2019, infielder/designated hitter Spencer Torkelson in 2020, pitcher Jackson Jobe in 2021 and Jung in 2022.

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Jung is currently at Triple-A and Jobe is rehabbing from Tommy John surgery.

Detroit’s last two first-round picks came from the prep ranks. In 2023, the Tigers selected outfielder Max Clark out of Franklin Community High School in Franklin, Ind. He is currently at High-A West Michigan.

Last year the Tigers selected shortstop Bryce Rainer from Harvard-Westlake High School in Los Angeles, Calif. He was at Class-A Lakeland but is out for the rest of the season after shoulder surgery.

The 2025 MLB draft will be held Sunday and Monday, July 13-14, during All-Star Weekend in Atlanta.

For more Tigers news, head over to Tigers On SI.