Bring on Casey Mize to Mowtown
By Zach Houle
The Detroit Tigers are in the midst of a rebuilding effort, and they did well in the MLB draft.
Righty Casey Mize was the uncontested overall pick in the draft. Many thought that it would be a big mistake not taking him with the No.1 pick. With that said, the club did the right thing in nabbing him. Mize projects as a bonafide ace and is only 21 years old. Furthermore, it might not take him long to get to the big leagues.
The right-hander has good and control and strikes out a ton. He is a strike thrower with his low 90’s fastball. His off speed pitch which is the slider, has nasty break. It bodes well with his cutter, which looks like a fastball until the last second. But, his best pitch is his splitter. The offering just falls out of the zone and is close to unhittable against lefties.
He was the clear No.1, and it’s great to see all the hard work and success pay off. For the Tigers, it should’ve been pretty easy. There isn’t much risk involved with Mize other than the usual pitcher worries. Other than his durability, Mize should mow down hitters when he starts as a professional.
The Tigers might have a 1-2 punch in Michael Fulmer and Mize. With as much success as Mize has had, it may only take a year before a call up. He has advanced tools and already pitches like an experienced pitcher. So the club could be developing a dominant pair of pitchers for Detroit.
With that said, Detroit is improving their farm system efficiently so far. Their early picks boasted a good amount of upside, and it now feels like the Tigers are looking up now. This was a huge time for Al Avila and Co. to boost the farm system and turn the franchise around.
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Ultimately, Casey Mize looks to speed through the minor leagues. His continued success and his development of his top pitches could make him one of the best young righties in the major leagues. The Tigers did well with this pick, and now it’s just a matter of putting it all together at the professional level.