Tigers' top scout, assistant GM size up Day 1 selections in MLB Draft
· Yahoo Sports
The Tigers’ Day 1 haul at the 2026 MLB Draft was a departure from the norm for this regime with three of four picks from the college ranks.
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But it was not some tactical decision. Rather, it was how the draft board fell, according to Tigers executives who spoke with the media over Zoom on Saturday.
“You never know how that board's gonna play out on draft day,” Tigers vice president and assistant general manager Rob Metzler said. “It's what makes today so exciting, makes it such a fun day. Couldn't be more excited about how it turned out. It might look like a different crop than last year. And obviously our processes continue to develop. But I don't think it's — I wouldn't take anything more from it other than just the way 2026 Day 1 worked out for us.”
In fact, the first three of Detroit’s picks — Coastal Carolina pitcher Cameron Flukey at No. 22, Kansas shortstop Tyson LeBlanc at No. 61 and Florida Gulf Coast pitcher Evan Dempsey at No. 69 — were college players. The lone prep player Detroit selected, shortstop Dominic Pellegrin out of Louisiana, came off the board at pick No. 125.
Metzler, who was joined by director of amateur scouting Mark Conner on the Zoom call with reporters, said that Detroit’s draft choices were not driven by any short-term strategic need or reaction to the spate of injuries on the roster.
“I think this draft was a reflection of draft board we built, and then the function of who was available, and when we selected,” Metzler said. “Not a reaction to anything, but what we thought was the best talent available.”
And in general, the Tigers’ brass seemed pleased with how Saturday and the first four rounds of the draft played out.
“We were able to execute today in a way that added four profiles to the organization that — we were able to select four players that were really excited about,” Metzler said.
The excitement starts with Flukey, a 6-foot-6 right handed pitcher with an upper-90s fastball and solid breaking pitches that work off it.
Flukey also has a changeup that needs work, relative to the rest of his arsenal, but Conner is hopeful for how Flukey can develop that pitch.
“So truthfully, it's just getting him reps and getting him to throw it more and get a good feel for the grip,” Conner said. “Because a lot of times as these guys get back on the mound after taking some time off, it's just hard to gain that feel right away. And truthfully, repetitions and athleticism and the feel that he has with his arm, we think it's got a chance to develop into a nice pitch.”
Flukey had an abbreviated 2026 season, as he dealt with a rib stress fracture shortly before the campaign started, but he still demonstrated his at-times elite arsenal in his short stint back. He had a star-turned 2025 season in which he helped lead Coastal Carolina to the College World Series.
While the execs on the call on Saturday didn’t speak to the possibility of Flukey pitching some later this summer in the minor leagues, since he’s pitched relatively little this year, they’re regardless excited about the sort of talent they got.
“You never know how a draft's gonna turn out,” Metzler said, speaking about getting Flukey, who many had pegged as a top-20 talent. “You never know how other boards are gonna line up, so it was an outcome that we were excited about. But I wouldn't go beyond it was an outcome that we were excited about.”
Metzler did, however, go on the record in favor of moving the draft back to early June, to allow for more development time for drafted prospects throughout the summer.
“The sooner the better,” Metzler said.
Detroit’s other three selections on Saturday fit with an ethos of adding athletes to the organization, something Conners said is a priority for the front office.
Dempsey, who Detroit took in one of the competitive balance rounds, is perhaps the most intriguing in that regard.
The Tigers have drafted him as a pitcher, and are excited to see him grow while doing that full time, as Dempsey also hit over .300 in his three-year career at FGCU. While his bat might not ever be needed during his professional career, Dempsey’s athletic profile intrigued Detroit.
And Conner expects Dempsey, with the benefit of switching full time to pitching, can blossom on the mound.
“As he focuses on one side of the ball, on the mound, we think he's got a chance to take off,” Conner said. “We're super excited about it.”
LeBlanc, Detroit’s second-round selection, is coming off a record-setting season at Kansas where he set the program mark for home runs with 25. He played every game at shortstop and reasonably could end up at second or third base, as well as shortstop, full time.
Translating his offense from metal to wood bats will be an adjustment, and LeBlanc played just one season at Kansas after transferring from the Division II junior college level, where he won a national championship.
The Tigers see more in LeBlanc than just a bat, though.
“I think the thing that we're most excited about is the player, in his makeup and how he's wired. He is an ultra-competitive kid that just has a really good mind for the game,” Conner said. “Really good aptitude and has shown progress over his college career. And truthfully, the power, we think there's a chance for hit, power, defense. He's a good all-around player. We think everything's gonna translate well to the pro game.”
Pellegrin, the lone high school selection for the Tigers on Saturday, is a relative unknown who made a late push for some draft attention with his play in the MLB Draft League.
The Tigers execs speaking on Saturday gave credit to area scout Mike Smith for identifying a player slightly off the beaten track, and one who has shown a nice ability to get his bat on the ball and play with fluid, quick athleticism in the middle infield.
“He's a very athletic kid that is wired really well, that has really good hands at short and has shown the ability to put the bat on the ball,” Conner said.
Andrew Graham is a freelance writer.
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Tigers' top scout, assistant GM size up Day 1 selections in MLB Draft