MLB draft 2017: A complete list of Detroit Tigers draftees

We’re already a few days removed from the MLB draft, which means one thing: time for a 2018 mock draft!

...just kidding. We have taken a cursory look at the 2017 draft already, but haven’t taken a deep dive into the full Detroit Tigers draft class. Google couldn’t even turn up a full list outside of MLB.com’s wonky draft tracker, and the Tigers’ official site has yet to even add a 2017 tab.

Don’t worry, we have you covered. Below are all 40 amateur players the Tigers drafted this year, along with some scouting info picked up from various outlets on said talents. We’re not grading the picks — everything still gets marked Incomplete at this point — but there may be some analysis here and there.

Round 1: Alex Faedo, RHP, Florida

Once considered a potential No. 1 overall pick after an excellent sophomore season, scouts were scared off after Faedo’s velocity dropped in early 2017. The reason seems to be offseason knee surgery, which shouldn’t limit him going forward. He has already regained that velocity, hitting as high as 96-97 miles per hour in the NCAA super regionals. Faedo also features one of the best sliders in this year’s draft class, as well as the build to log plenty of innings at the major league level. I thought he was a bit of a steal at No. 18 overall.

Round 2: Reynaldo Rivera, OF, Chipola College

Considered one of the best hitters in all of junior college ball, Rivera’s bat will determine his ultimate ceiling as a player. He is still raw but has plenty of power and a fairly developed approach at the plate. However, Baseball America ranked him as their No. 403 prospect in this year’s draft class, and others have already labeled this pick a reach. He played a lot of first base at Chipola, but the Tigers seem prepared to give him a shot at playing the outfield.

Round 3: Joey Morgan, C, Washington

The Tigers are known for one thing on draft day: their overwhelming preference for power arms from big college programs. However, they are also quick to draft a catcher in the higher rounds every year. Morgan is this year’s pick, a solid defensive catcher with developing gap power. Hero Sports broke him down further.

Morgan is strong and sturdy and can hit for power. The junior is listed at 6-feet and 205 pounds, but he's all of those 205 and then some. He shows quick feet and an above-average arm, both in terms of strength and accuracy. Morgan regularly shows pop times in the 1.9s and gunned down another would-be base thief Friday.

Round 4: Gio Arriera, RHP, Palm Beach CC

This is your typical Tigers draft pick. He can hit the mid-90s with his fastball, one described as “heavy” by Tony Paul of the Detroit News. Arriera also has a solid breaking ball, but his command needs work. He will also need to develop a third pitch if he is to stick as a starter down the line.

Round 5: Sam McMillan, C, Suwannee High School (FL)

McMillan was MLB.com’s 109th prospect in this year’s draft, and the Tigers were able to land him with the 155th overall pick. He is committed to the University of Florida, but as the Tigers’ only high school pick in the top 13 rounds, will be a top priority for them to sign.

More from MLB.com on McMillan:

None of McMillan's tools jump out as plus, but the sum of all of his parts make him an intriguing catching prospect. He has a solid hit tool, making consistent hard contact. There's some power in his right-handed swing, with a bit more to come as he physically matures. McMillan is a capable defender, with average receiving tools.

Round 6: Dane Myers, RHP, Rice

Myers was a two-way player at Rice, but will focus on pitching in professional ball. This is a mild concern, as Rice is known for over-working their arms, but Myers only worked 54 ¹⁄₃ innings in 2017. He has a solid fastball and a developing breaking ball, and will probably end up as a reliever.

Round 7: Brad Bass, RHP, Notre Dame

Bass was MLB.com’s No. 192 prospect in this year’s draft class.

Nevertheless, scouts believe Bass projects better as a reliever than as a starter at the next level. Coming out of the bullpen in the Cape Cod League last summer, he worked with a 93-95 mph fastball that hit 97 and featured sink, and he backed it up with a swing-and-miss slider. While he has held his own in the rotation this spring, in longer stints he has shown a 91-92 mph heater with less life and a slider that hasn't been as sharp.

Round 8: Max Green, LHP, Pepperdine

Green has better control than your average bear (or Tigers draftee), but hasn’t racked up many strikeouts in his year’s at Pepperdine. He was a reliever for all three seasons, and will probably be used as such in pro ball. His fastball only topped out at 84 miles per hour in high school, according to Perfect Game, but has reached as high as 93 mph in college ball.

Round 9: Luke Burch, CF, Kent State

Burch is a statistical darling who put up some huge numbers at Kent State. Scout’s Jeff Ellis is a fan.

He doesn’t have much power, but has shown an ability to put the ball into the gaps and occasionally knock the ball out of the park. Once the ball goes into the gap, Burch is assured extra bases. He has plus to plus plus speed. At one game I attended, a scout had him down the line at 4.01.

Already 23, Burch is a bit old for a draftee. He also struck out a fair amount in college, especially for a player who doesn’t hit for a lot of power. As a senior signee, he should afford the Tigers a few extra bonus pool dollars elsewhere.

Round 10: Garrett McCain, CF, Oklahoma State

If you want to get excited about college stats, McCain is your guy. From Cowboys Ride for Free, SB Nation’s Oklahoma State community:

Last season, McCain hit .203 on the season. He has shattered that this year, as he is currently hitting .372 on the year. he has seen nearly double the at-bats this season, and has had more hits this season (55) than the previous two seasons combined (38). His .372 average on the season is best on the team, 60 points higher than Colin Simpson who has the second-best hitter on the season.

McCain finished the year with a .388 batting average and .491 on-base percentage. He only hit four home runs, but who really cares when you’re getting on base that often. Unsurprisingly, McCain was named an All-American.

Round 11: Garett King, RHP, California Baptist

King played at Nebraska for two seasons before transferring to California Baptist in 2017. He was drafted by the New York Mets in 2014, and we’re hoping he has developed some from this scouting report back then.

Garett King is a Nebraska commit with below average present velocity and some projection present in his 6-foot-3, 180-pound frame. He throws his fastball at 84-86 and will hit 88 from time to time, but it’s his offspeed stuff that makes him shine. He has a legitimate four-pitch mix, something you don’t often see in the high school class. The slider is his best pitch, a mid-70s pitch with tight rotation and late break, if not a whole lot of depth.

Round 12: Will Vest, RHP, Stephen F. Austin

Vest was originally an infielder who transitioned to the mound prior to the 2017 season. He fared quite well, holding opponents to a 1.38 ERA with 46 strikeouts and 18 walks in 45 ²⁄₃ innings. One might imagine his secondary stuff will be raw, but he at least has a high-powered fastball.

Round 13: Cole Peterson, SS, St. Bonaventure

Peterson’s college manager called him the best defensive shortstop he has ever coached shortly after the Tigers drafted Peterson on Wednesday. While he is understandably high on his former player, it’s a strong hint that Peterson will stick at short in the pro ranks. The bat is likely a work in progress, though.

Round 14: Antoine Mistico, CF, Chandler HS (AZ)

From Perfect Game:

Mistico has a medium sized frame with a lean athletic build with a high waist. Defensively he has good footwork to the baseball with athletic actions through the ball...At the plate, Mistico starts with a wide base and a high hand set. He has an aggressive load to start his swing and has good bat speed. Mistico swings on a line drive plane and hit the ball hard to the pullside. He showed the ability to get extension and hits off his front foot. Mistico has an upper body dominant swing and has strength coming through the zone. He showed interesting hitting tools with upside.

Round 15: Teddy Hoffman, RF, Texas State

Theodore was a legitimate power threat in the Texas State lineup this year, hitting 16 home runs in 249 at-bats. He added another 16 doubles, as well as a triple. His judgment seems suspect, though.

Hoffman is a Boston Red Sox fan.

Round 16: Carson Lance, RHP, Lamar

Lance worked as a starter for the Cardinals this year, totaling 85 strikeouts in 90 ²⁄₃ innings. He walked 48 batters and allowed a 4.17 ERA. A move to the bullpen will probably be in the offing for Lance, who has the stuff to make it work.

At 6-foot-5 and 240 pounds, Lance is a pure power pitcher whose fastball, which consistently sits at 95 or 96 miles per hour, will beat hitters for strikeouts.

Round 17: Billy Lescher, RHP, Penn

Primarily a fastball-changeup pitcher when he was working out of the bullpen, Lescher transitioned to the starting rotation this year. That move, plus some physical projection, has worked out for the young righthander.

Subsequently, Lescher has seen an increase his fastball velocity from 85-89 miles per hour last season to 91-93 MPH this season. Counting himself among the hardest throwers in the Ivy League, Lescher has averaged nearly a strikeout per inning and has held his opponents to a team-best .224 batting average, good for seventh in the Ivy League.

Round 18: Dylan Rosa, LF, Kent State

Power is Rosa’s carrying tool. The corner outfielder hit 14 homers for the Golden Flashes this year, and added 14 more doubles in 185 at-bats. He also showed solid patience, getting on base at a .406 clip, but also struck out 55 times.

Round 19: Ryan Karstetter, 3B, State College of Florida

From Minor League Ball after Karstetter went undrafted in 2015:

Another prep familiar to scouts for his amateur circuit exploits, Karstetter is a good gloveman at third base and has a chance to hit for both power and average. He could have gone as high as the third round, but his University of Virginia scholarship spooked teams.

Round 20: Dylan Burdeaux, 1B, Southern Mississippi

Burdeaux burdeveloped some power during his college days, hitting 23 home runs in his final two seasons at Southern Miss. The Chicago Cubs brought him in for a workout prior to this year’s draft, but the Tigers were able to pounce with the No. 605 overall pick.

Round 21: Jordan Pearce, 3B, Nevada

From Perfect Game back in 2013:

Thick and strong build, fairly mature physically. Quality two-way prospect. Left handed hitter, open to closed approach, big shift onto front side, low hand start, lots going on, strong to the ball, tends to cut off out front, quick hands and has good bat speed, hitting tools and power to develop with adjustments. 7.15 runner, quick hands and good exchange at third base, balanced actions but can improve first step quickness, good arm strength with carry, tools profile well behind the plate.

Round 22: Colby Bortles, 3B, Ole Miss

Known primarily as the brother of NFL quarterback Blake Bortles, Colby has plenty of power in his 6’5, 230 pound frame. He hit 10 home runs in his senior season.

Round 23: Mitch Stalsberg, LHP, Winona State

Stalsberg struck out 86 hitters in 58 ¹⁄₃ innings for Division II Winona State this season.

Round 24: Jordan Knutson, LHP, Missouri State

Knutson allowed a 4.53 ERA but struck out 90 hitters in 93 ¹⁄₃ innings at Missouri State this year.

Round 25: Dylan Stock, RHP, Binghamton

Stock honed his command last year, lowering his walk rate to a third of what he managed in 2016. He struck out 21 hitters to seven walks in 25 innings out of the bullpen for Binghamton.

Round 26: Drew Crosby, LHP, Memphis

Crosby managed a 6.18 ERA in 131 career innings at Memphis.

Round 27: Jake Bivens, IF, Michigan

This seems optimistic.

MLB comparison: Anthony Rizzo

The junior infielder didn’t hit a home run in his career at Michigan, but hit .318 with a .457 on-base percentage in 179 games. He had more walks (99) than strikeouts (82), and stole 24 bases in his junior season alone.

Round 28: Cam Warner, 2B, TCU

Warner spent two years at a junior college before transferring to TCU, where he continued to put up great offensive numbers. He hit .292 with a .369 on-base percentage for the Horned Frogs this year.

Round 29: Grant Reuss, LHP, Michigan

Reuss is a draft eligible sophomore who has only made 12 appearances for the Wolverines in two years. Odds are he returns to school in 2018.

Rounds 30-40

Round 30: Kyle Thomas, RHP, Northwestern Ohio
Round 31: Nick Storz, RHP, Poly Prep Country Day HS (NY)
Round 32: Drew Carlton, RHP, Florida State
Round 33: Jake Nelson, RHP, Penn
Round 34: Ronell Coleman, CF, Vanderbilt
Round 35: Jeff Criswell, RHP, Portage Central HS (MI)
Round 36: Jesse Heikkinen, LHP, Holt HS (MI)
Round 37: Shane Cooper, SS, Hutchison CC
Round 38: Steven Mann, CF, Detroit Country Day HS (MI)
Round 39: Jack Leftwich, RHP, TNXL Academy (FL)
Round 40: Rhys Cratty, 2B, Langley Secondary (BC)