Tigers Take Tons of High School Prospects
PLUS: ADDED PITCHING PROWESS WILL MAKE BRAVES EVEN MORE POTENT
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Reader Reacts
“Whose idea was it to have All-Star Game players wear those ugly NATIONAL and AMERICAN shirts instead of the uniform shirts we're used to seeing them in? Seeing Gerrit Cole wear a shirt with his name on his back? Ugh!
“Also, I hate miking up players so the nincompoops in the broadcast booth can talk with them DURING THE GAME. Am I being old fashioned?”
— Doug Lyons, New York
The writer is a criminal attorney and the author of numerous baseball books
Pregame Pepper
Did you know…
When 33-year-old Colorado catcher Elias Díaz hit the game-changing All-Star Game homer this week, he did it on a 2-2 splitter against lights-out Baltimore closer Félix Bautista — who averaged two strikeouts an inning in the first half while crafting a 1.07 ERA. Opponents went 9-for-112 (.080) with one homer and 84 strikeouts on two-strike counts against Bautista, who has allowed just three home runs in 152 plate appearances ending on splitters in his regular-season career . . .
With the Rockies getting on the board, 26 of the 30 franchises have now had anAll-Star Game MVP since the award was first created in 1962 (still waiting are the Cardinals, D-backs, Tigers and White Sox) . . .
Aroldis Chapman, the flame-throwing Cuban closer now with Texas, threw a pitch timed at 103.4 mph in the 2015 All-Star Game . . .
Thanks to bad planning by NL manager Rob Thomson (Phillies), his own defensively-challenged corner outfielder Nick Castellanos entered in the bottom of the fifth for the NL as a sub for Mookie Betts in center field even though he had never played that position . . .
All-Star starting catchers Sean Murphy (Braves) and Jonah Heim (Rangers) each threw out a runner trying to steal . . .
The 2023 Texas Rangers, 1951 Brooklyn Dodgers, and 1939 New York Yankees were the only teams to have six players on the field at the same time during an All-Star Game . . .
Although three of them were picked as subs, the Atlanta Braves entertained All-Star attendees when their entire infield appeared together, with Austin Riley, Orlando Arcia, Ozzie Albies, and Matt Olson from third to first . . .
Speaking of the Braves, NL MVP favorite Ronald Acuna, Jr. is the the first man ever to record 20 or more home runs, 40 or more steals and 50 or more RBIs before the All-Star break . . .
Hall of Famer Cal Ripken, Jr. returned to the scene of the 2001 All-Star Game where he not only homered but played both third base and shortstop in his final ASG appearance . . .
MLB built a virtual ballpark for interactive experiences that made its debut during the All-Star Celebrity Softball Game in Seattle. Users can explore as avatars, watch live streams, and access exclusive interviews.
Leading Off
Detroit Drafts Plethora Of High-School Prospects
By Joe Underhill
The All-Star game and the MLB draft are now in the books and for fans of the Detroit Tigers its time to see what we have learned about how the Tigers’ new leadership will approach the biggest crapshoot in professional sports. The MLB draft is one of the most difficult for professional scouts, injury, physical development, and psychology all factor into whether a prospect will ever graduate to MLB.
We don’t know how many of the Tigers most recent draft picks will be signed by the July 25 deadline, but looking at the draft haul gives a good perspective on how the Tigers will approach acquiring talent. In the past 10 years the Tigers have selected and signed 14 high school players, five of which were taken in the first round. We must remember as well that the 2020 draft had only five rounds and the subsequent drafts have only had 20 rounds instead of the 40-round version pre covid.
Historically, high school players come with more upside, but also come with the highest risk profile. The Tigers have had mixed results with this demographic as Riley Greene (1st) and Colt Keith (5th) look like they have the potential to become all-stars, the jury is out on players like Parker Meadows (2nd), Jackson Jobe (1st), and Izaac Pacheco (2nd), while Derek Hill (1st), Beau Burrows (1st), Sam McMillen (5th) and Kingston Liniak (4th) have failed to live up to their potential.
Under new President Scott Harris, the Tigers have decided to go with the high upside of high school players. Of the 21 picks the Tigers had in 2023, nine were high school players including the number three overall pick Max Clark and 37th overall Kevin McGonigle. In fact, four of the first five picks and five of the first nine were high school players. The Tigers have mixed and matched their draft to give them a good chance of signing most of these high school players.
Both Clark and McGonigle have strong hit tools and above average power. In the case of Clark, he has the potential to have five plus tools, boasting 70 grade speed and plus defense in center field. Third round left hander Paul Wilson has MLB bloodlines with his father having played eight years in the majors and a fastball/slider combo that flash plus with a curve and change that still need work. While there is reliever risk with Wilson, the fastball/slider combo are enough to give him a chance to stick in the majors. Fourth rounder Carson Rucker is a future third baseman, who boasts raw power and currently above average speed. He has the defensive ability and arm strength to stay on the dirt as he advances through the minor leagues.
The Tigers selected college players in the second, fifth, sixth, seventh, ninth and tenth round picks. All the hitters the Tigers have selected have demonstrated an ability to control the strike zone, one of the traits Harris has said he looks for. On the pitching side, the Tigers have demonstrated an ability to develop pitchers well and the pitchers selected all have some intriguing ability that needs to be refined.
Overall, the Tigers were quite balanced in their drafting: 11 hitters, 10 pitchers, 9 high-schoolers, and 12 college players. Five of the nine high school kids were pitchers, however, the top two picks were high school hitters. Positionally, the Tigers selected seven right-handed pitchers and seven infield prospects, three lefty pitchers (two of them high-schoolers), two outfielders, and two catchers.
The Tigers seem to be mixing the high-upside high-schoolers with college players who should provide solid depth at a minimum at the major-league level. The high- schoolers starting with Clark have the potential to be mainstays in the lineup or rotation. Only time will tell how this approach fares for the Tigers, but for now fans will have some exciting new players to watch grow and develop on the farm.
Joe Underhill is a high school administrator, diehard baseball enthusiast, and fan of the city of Detroit. Joe currently writes for www.tigstown.com. You can follow Joe on Twitter@TransplantedDet or contact him by emailing joe.underhill@auburn.org
Cleaning Up
Braves Will Be Better When Star Pitchers Return
By Dan Schlossberg
After a sluggish start, the Atlanta Braves bombed their way to a 60-29 record over the first half, taking 27 of their final 33 games before the All-Star Break and taking 11 straight series to finish with a flourish.
Eight Braves made the All-Star trip to Seattle and a few others — notably the red-hot Michael Harris II and Comeback of the Year candidate Marcell Ozuna — could have been invited too.
Brian Snitker should have been invited to be an All-Star coach but NL manager Rob Thomson, the Phillies manager during the regular season, probably doesn’t want to see any more red tomahawks that aren’t already recurring nightmares.
Both the New York Mets and the Phillies are so far beyond that neither would reach the postseason — that’s the 12-team playoff system now in use — if the season ended today.
And get this: the Braves should be even better when their two best pitchers return.
Max Fried (strained left forearm) and Kyle Wright (shoulder inflammation) were dominant last year and should be able to build on that experience. The left-handed Fried was runner-up to Sandy Alcantara for the Cy Young Award while Wright led the majors with 21 victories — a rarity in these days of incomplete games by starting pitchers.
Given the long rest of both pitchers, who have been idled for months, their return will be the equivalent of adding two front-line starters by the trade deadline.
Fried, already engaged in a rehab assignment at Triple-A Gwinnett, will return before the end of the month, while Wright is due to return in August.
Finding room for them will be a pleasant dilemma for manager Brian Snitker. His rotation already includes Spencer Strider, who leads the majors in strikeouts after an 11-2 first half; Bryce Elder, who vaulted from Opening Day starter at Gwinnett to National League All-Star; erstwhile All-Star Michael Soroka, who finally returned from a pair of Achilles injuries; and veteran Charlie Morton, a big-game ace pitching a lot better for his advanced athletic age (40 later this year) than Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, or Adam Wainwright.
Rookie southpaws Jared Shuster and Dylan Dodd have helped out too despite their constant shuttling between Atlanta and Gwinnett.
Instead of Sherman burning Atlanta, the glimmering City of the South is burning down the National League.
In fact, the Braves may duplicate the feat of their own team exactly 50 years ago, when it became the first ballclub with three 40-homer producers in the same season.
Don’t be surprised if Matt Olson, Ozzie Albies, and Ronald Acuna, Jr. do this year what Davey Johnson, Darrell Evans, and Hank Aaron did in 1973. The only other team to turn that trick, the altitude-aided Colorado Rockies, did it twice in the ‘90s.
Olson, the NL leader in home runs and runs batted in, is on pace to smash the Braves’ single-season franchise record, 51 by Andruw Jones in 2005.
Albies, the shortest man in the league, seemingly has his mind set of emulating the slugging exploits of his buddy Acuna, who bats directly ahead of him in the lineup. Suddenly this season, the switch-hitting Albies is showing considerable power from left side too. A one-time weak spot has become a sweet spot.
As for Acuna, he’s already turned this year’s MVP award into a one-man race. If he avoids injuries — and stops sliding head-first — he’s heading for a historic season, with 40 homers, 80 stolen bases, and the highest batting average he’s ever had.
If not for Olson and Miami’s Luis Arraez, Acuna might even be in line for the first National League Triple Crown since Joe Medwick in 1937.
To snare their sixth straight divisional crown — the longest active streak in the majors — the Braves just need to play the same game: bullying opponents with a rash of home runs. They not only lead the majors but are threatening the single-season mark of 307, reached by the 2019 Minnesota Twins.
Snitker, an organization man who has spent a lifetime in the system after Hank Aaron hired him in 1977, is enjoying the ride. At 67, he’s the oldest manager in the league and a grandfather figure to many of his players.
Youth is on his side; the Braves are not only one of the youngest teams in the league but one of the most secure. Almost all of their young stars are signed to long-term contracts, with Fried the notable exception.
With the most wins, best winning percentage, and biggest divisional lead in baseball, the Braves could coast to the playoffs. But don’t expect them to do that.
They were miffed at getting knocked out of the playoffs by Philadelphia last year and want their 2021 World Championship ring to have a companion.
They just might happen.
Former AP sportswriter Dan Schlossberg of Fair Lawn, NJ is the author of 40 books, including Baseball’s Memorable Misses: an Unabashed Look at the Game’s Craziest Zeroes. He covers the game for forbes.com, USA TODAY Sports Weekly, Sports Collectors Digest, and Memories & Dreams. E.mail him at ballauthor@gmail.com.
Timeless Trivia
“There was a point where I’d drive to the ballpark and hope to win. And then I started driving to the ballpark expecting to win. These guys come to the park every day and expect to win. That’s how they go about it, how they prepare, how they work, with the energy they expend in winning games.”
— Braves manager Brian Snitker to Atlanta reporter Justin Tuscano
If baseball had a Bastille, the owners would be storming it to protest crazy contracts.
July 1 was Bobby Bonilla Day, the annual reminder that the New York Mets pay their former slugger $1.19 million in deferred money every July 1 until 2035, when he’ll be 72! In other words, he’s gotten paid a huge salary for a bunch of years NOT to play.
And he’s not the only financial fiasco for the Mets: pitcher Bret Saberhagen gets $250,000 a year from his deferred contract until 2029 . . .
Hall of Famer Ken Griffey, Jr., who last played for the Cincinnati Reds in 2008, will draw nearly $3.6 million a year through 2024. The 13-time All-Star is one of the highest-paid players on Cincinnati’s current payroll at $3,593,750 after signing a nine-year, $116.5 million deal with $57.5 million deferred from 2009-24 . . .
Former star outfielders Manny Ramirez (Red Sox) and Matt Holliday (Cardinals) are also receiving regular checks from their former clubs. Ramirez will get his through 2026 and Holliday through 2029 . . .
Yet another St. Louis slugger, Jim Edmonds, hasn’t played since 2010 but earned $3,000,000 in deferred money from 2010-2019.
And let’s not forget future Hall of Famer Todd Helton, who spent his entire 17-year career clubbing home runs for the Colorado Rockies. He left the active ranks in 2013 but that doesn’t mean his paycheck isn’t still active.
Know Your Editors
HERE’S THE PITCH is published daily except Sundays and holidays. Benjamin Chase [gopherben@gmail.com] handles Monday and Tuesday editions, Elizabeth Muratore [nymfan97@gmail.com] does Wednesday and Thursday, and Dan Schlossberg [ballauthor@gmail.com] edits the weekend editions on Friday and Saturday. Readers are encouraged to contribute comments, articles, and letters to the editor. HTP reserves the right to edit for brevity, clarity, and good taste.