Casey Mize, the Tigers’ number one draft pick in 2018 and top prospect, has been assigned to minor league camp according to MiLB.com after a short but productive spring training stint with the big league club. The move was accompanied by the reassignment of RHP Eduardo Paredes and the optioning of Eduardo Jimenez to Double-A Erie. The Tigers now have 56 active players in major league camp.
Prior to today’s game, the Tigers have optioned RHP Eduardo Jiménez to Double A Erie. Additionally, RHP’s Casey Mize and Eduardo Paredes have been assigned to Minor League camp. The Tigers have 56 players remaining in Major League camp.
— Tigers PR (@DetroitTigersPR) March 5, 2019
Mize is expected to start the 2019 season in Lakeland — less due to his development status and more to do with the warm weather in Florida — and will presumably make his way to Erie as spring melts into summer. Rated by MLB.com as the 17th overall prospect, along with an overall 55 FV rating from FanGraphs and a 60 FV rating from MLB Pipeline, Mize is expected to move quickly through the Tigers’ system, bolstered by a fastball that hit 98 mph this spring and a devastating split-finger pitch. We didn’t have too many opportunities to see him unveil his new slider in camp, but there is plenty of time, as Mize will have eyes on him all season.
In case you didn’t get your Casey Mize fix earlier, here’s video of his complete 2019 spring training debut.
Update: Per Chris McCosky of The Detroit News, 2B Dawel Lugo has been optioned to the Toledo Mud Hens, which should bring the total in major league camp down to 55 players.
Dawel Lugo optioned to Toledo
— Chris McCosky (@cmccosky) March 5, 2019