Tigers select 3B Gage Workman with the No. 102 pick in the 2020 MLB Draft

The Detroit Tigers have selected third baseman Gage Workman with the No. 102 overall pick in the 2020 MLB draft. Workman, 20, was the fourth of five Tigers picks on day two of the draft.

As a college hitter, Workman was a solid offensive contributor, holding his own as a freshman and playing a key role in Arizona State’s offense as a sophomore. He wasn’t able to gain any real traction before the the college season shut down this year, but on the surface, his career .306/.381/.500 line with the Sun Devils is nothing to sneeze at. Some evaluators were displease with his overall performance, though, because he never tapped into his raw power potential and his strikeout numbers reveal a dangerous lack of discipline at the plate.

Workman was the reason that eventual first overall selection and fellow Tigers draftee Spencer Torkelson had to play first base with the ASU squad. Workman is a good defender at third base, and in fact, he would have been playing short if he hadn’t been blocked there by Alika Williams, who the Rays drafted 37th overall. His athletic abilities play well at the hot corner. He is commended by Prospects Live for his “excellent instincts, footwork, and a strong throwing arm.”

Some evaluators believed that he could handle short as a pro, making it relatively surprising the Tigers announced him as a third baseman, given their proclivity to allow players to begin their careers at the most challenging feasible position for their skillset. As a third baseman, though, the Tigers player development staff need only worry about helping him progress as a hitter because his defense at third base is already playable in the big leagues.

As a hitter, the aforementioned concern about his approach at the plate is likely what drove him down draft boards to the point where Detroit could take him in the fourth round. However, his potential as an offensive piece is huge if they can make the appropriate tweaks. He has a great frame and plus power potential to go along with defensive abilities that give him a wide range of outcomes.

The Tigers’ next and final pick comes in at 132nd overall.