:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/33970385/20130601_lbm_ar6_266.0.jpg)
The Detroit Tigers have the 23rd pick in tonight's first round of MLB's 2014 amateur draft, which begins at 7 PM. Detroit also owns the 22nd selection in the second round, 63rd overall.
MLB's amateur draft is a 40 round, three day long event which starts at 7 PM tonight, running through Saturday, June 7. MLB Network will cover tonight's first two rounds of the draft, MLB.com offering streaming coverage. Tonight's action includes seven compensation picks and 13 competitive-balance picks. A total of 74 selections will be made tonight.
MLB.com will stream the remainder of the draft. Friday will be rounds 3-10, Saturday rounds 11-40, both days starting at 1 PM.
Dave Dombrowski and his staff are well-known for their stockpiling big, hard-throwing college pitchers in the draft. The organization has taken a pitcher first in seven of the last ten drafts. Nick Castellanos was a rare exception, a position player selected straight out of high school in 2010.
Players linked to the Tigers include Louisville closer Nick Burdi (who seems to be the consensus pick in the majority of mock drafts), Virginia reliever Nick Howard, TCU pitcher Brandon Finnegan, and California high school outfielder Derek Hill.
Last year's top pick for Detroit was Jonathon Crawford, a right-handed starting pitcher out of the University of Florida. Currently playing for Single-A West Michigan in the Midwest League, Crawford is 2-1 with a 2.27 ERA, owning a 44-to-14 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 47 2/3 innings.
The Tigers' second pick of 2013 already in the majors. Corey Knebel was chosen 39th overall as a supplemental selection. The pick was the first ever acquired via a trade, as part of the Anibal Sanchez deal.