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The Detroit Tigers actually have two picks Sunday night in the first round of the MLB Draft in Denver.
Choice # 3 naturally attracts a lot more attention than # 32. But both choices will depend heavily on what happens in front of them.
Most final simulation projects predict that the Tigers will take out Oklahoma prep pitcher Jackson Jobe or Georgia infielder Brady House. Both players have been heavily spotted by the Tigers.
There is a one in a thousand scenario in which California prep shortstop Marcelo Mayer drops to No.3, but most expect him to become No.1 overall with the Pittsburgh Pirates. .
The Texas Rangers, who have the second overall pick, could be the real wild card. If they opted for Vanderbilt pitcher Jack Leiter, that would leave the Tigers to choose between Jobe or House (or maybe one of the other viable candidates of a half-dozen). But if the Rangers bypass Leiter and take Dallas-area prep shortstop Jordan Lawlar, as many expect, it could leave the Tigers with an intriguing dilemma: The polite and MLB-ready Leiter, or the riskier, higher Leiter Jobé?
Picking House would allow them to skip this debate, which is why it’s a popular screening.
Baseball America: Jobe
ESPN: Home
Athletics: Leiter
Fangraphes: House
MLB: Home
My prediction? I thought you would never ask.
I say they take Jobe. Not because “you can never have too much pitch” or any other aphorism you might hear gushing out. I just think they love him more than anyone. If the Tigers had the No.10 pick, everyone would be delighted with Jobe and call the selection a great deal. If it was the NFL, the Tigers would likely be down. But it’s MLB. The choice you have is the choice you get, and it’s usually best to pick who you want and let others worry about the perception.
When / how to watch today?
Day 1 coverage begins at 7 p.m. on MLB and ESPN. The draft can also be streamed live on MLB.com.
What about the rest of the draft?
The 2021 draft has “only” 20 rounds, which is less than the usual 40 but more than the five rounds of last year’s COVID-impacted draft.
Day 2 will consist of rounds 2-10 and will begin at 1:00 p.m. on Monday. The last 10 rounds will take place on Tuesday from noon.
Days 2 and 3 are only available on MLB.com.
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