Tigers Sign Intriguing College Reliever to Undrafted Free Agent Deal

The Detroit Tigers signed their first undrafted free agent on Tuesday by snagging Xaiver pitcher Luke Hoskins.

Baseball America reported the signing as part of its post-draft signing tracker.

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The 6-foot-4, 180-pound right-hander is coming off a final season with the Musketeers in which he went 3-4 with a 5.86 ERA in 19 games (five starts). He struck out 51 and walked 20 in 50.2 innings. Batters hit .271 against him.

After two years as a full-time starter for Xavier, he moved into a primary relief role and bounced back from a lackluster 2024. That’s what intrigues Baseball America as Hoskins prepares to join the Tigers later this summer.

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“He features a low-90s fastball that shows carry up in the zone and some sink when located down, paired with a high-70s slider that generated a 41% whiff rate,” per the publication. It also noted that his whiff rate in 2025, 21.3%, was a career best.

In 2024, his last as a full-time starter, he went 4-7 with a 6.78 ERA in 15 games, which was a team best. He struck out 49 and walked 15 in 70.1 innings as batters hit .305 off him.

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He made his debut as a full-time starter in 2023 as he pitched in 20 games but started 15. He went 7-2 with a 4.48 ERA. He struck out 53 and walked 18 in 78.1 innings. He also allowed batters to hit just .267 against him.

In 2022, his debut season, he went 1-1 with a 9.00 ERA in 10 games (two start). He struck out four and walked nine in 13 innings.

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For his career, he went 15-14 with a 5.85 ERA in 64 games (37 starts). He struck out 157 and walked 62 in 212.1 innings. He allowed batters to hit .282 against him.

Before Xavier, he was a three-year varsity letterman as a right-handed pitcher and first baseman for Ralston Valley High School in Arvada, Colo. He did not play during his junior or senior years due to the COVID-19 pandemic and had his sophomore season cut short by injury.

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