Tigers secure 20th overall pick in 2017 MLB draft

Did you like the high draft pick that the Detroit Tigers had last year? I did. It was nice knowing that no matter how things shook out at the top end of the draft, the Tigers would be able to snag some good talent, because -- look at that -- they were at the top of the draft!

However, the only way to get a really good spot in the draft is to be equally as bad the previous year, and the Tigers were not bad at all in 2016. In fact, only 10 teams in the MLB were able muster a better record than the Tigers. That means only 10 teams are slated to have a lower draft pick, giving the Tigers the 20th overall selection in the 2017 MLB draft. There is a possibility that that pick can get higher because of the way the current Qualifying Offer system is set up, but the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) is going to be renegotiated this offseason, so that may change.

That said, with a much more prospect-conscious GM at the helm than in years past, the selection that is going to be made is much more likely to make an impact in Detroit than selections from previous years that got shipped off just as fast as Dave Dombrowksi could find somewhere to send them.

Former first round selections include Matt Manning (2016), Beau Burrows (2015), Derek Hill (2014), and Jonathan Crawford (2013), who is now with the Cincinnati Reds, as he was part of the deal that brought Alfredo Simon to Detroit prior to the 2015 season. Of those four, three are hard-throwing righties, the preferred type of player of David Chadd, former scouting director and current assistant general manager.

An early look at the standout players of the 2017 draft can be found at Minor League Ball. A breakdown of those players by position with more in-depth scouting reports can be found at FanGraphs.