The Tigers’ draft habits under Scott Harris have leaned a certain way, and that’s part of what makes The Athletic’s latest mock so interesting. Keith Law has Detroit taking Coastal Carolina right-hander Cameron Flukey with the 22nd overall pick, a move he called an “opportunistic pick” after Flukey’s stock climbed before a stress reaction in his rib cage sidelined him for two months.
That would mark a notable break from a pattern Detroit has mostly followed in recent years. The Tigers haven’t taken a college player in the first round since Spencer Torkelson in 2020, when Al Avila was still in charge, and they haven’t drafted a college pitcher in the first round since Casey Mize in 2018. Under Harris, they’ve generally preferred high school talent and a longer development path.
That’s why last year’s first-round choice of high school shortstop Jordan Yost raised eyebrows. Yost showed up on top 100 lists, but many evaluators didn’t see him as a first-rounder, and the expectation around the industry was that Detroit might go the college-pitching route instead. The Tigers have also shown they can zig when the board breaks their way, as they did with Bryce Rainer in 2024 and Max Clark in 2023.
Flukey’s background makes him an intriguing candidate. He was already on the draft radar out of high school, ranked No. 149 in 2023 by MLB Pipeline, but he went undrafted and headed to Coastal Carolina. He helped the Chanticleers reach the College World Series in 2025 as part of the starting rotation before they lost to LSU and 2025 third overall pick Kade Anderson.
The numbers are solid, if not flashy: a 4.08 career ERA across three college seasons. In 2026, though, he was limited to 24 innings before and after the injury.
MLB Pipeline currently has Flukey ranked as its No. 15 draft prospect, but Detroit’s history under Harris is a reminder that mock boards and real draft boards don’t always line up. The Tigers could still go in another direction entirely, even back to a high school infielder.
If they do land Flukey, the upside is obvious enough. He’d give them another arm with a chance to reach the majors as early as the second half of 2027, which could help offset the possibility of losing Tarik Skubal, Casey Mize, Jack Flaherty, and Justin Verlander in a hurry.
In Other News...
Bryce Rainer May Be Forcing A Tough Tigers Decision
Bryce Rainer keeps giving the Tigers reasons to pay attention. The top prospect has been productive since his promotion from Single-A, and his latest High-A statement came on July 8, when he collected five hits and drove every one of them with authority, each one leaving the bat at 109 mph or harder. For a player already batting .293/.401/.505 with nine homers and 45 RBIs, it was another reminder that the tools are real and the bat speed plays.
The challenge for Detroit is figuring out how much patience to pair with that upside. Rainers offensive ceiling is obvious, but the swing-and-miss has not disappeared, with 109 strikeouts in 260 at-bats still hanging over the profile. If he keeps forcing the issue, the next move could come soon, and the Tigers will have to decide how aggressively to push a player who already looks like he is starting to outgrow the level. [Read more 🡒]
Spencer Torkelson Is Becoming A Real Tigers Problem Again
Spencer Torkelsons season has been a reminder that power alone does not always smooth out the edges of a lineup. The Tigers have seen the home run bursts that made him such an important part of their middle order, but they have also lived with the stretches when the contact disappears and the at-bats turn empty. With a batting average around .208, 16 homers and 43 RBIs, the overall line still carries some punch, but it has not been nearly steady enough for a club trying to climb in the AL Wild Card race.
A.J. Hinch has already tried to shake things up by moving Torkelson around the batting order, from fourth to seventh, in search of a better fit and a little more consistency. What the Tigers need now is not another isolated power run, but dependable production in the spots where rallies are supposed to start and finish. Until Torkelson strings together more complete nights, every quiet stretch keeps putting more pressure on a team that cannot afford too many wasted chances. [Read more 🡒]
Former Tigers Prospect Daz Cameron Just Resurfaced Again
Daz Cameron has resurfaced again, this time on a minor league contract with the Blue Jays after most recently playing for the Doosan Bears in the Korea Baseball Organization. For Tigers fans, the name still carries some familiarity, since Cameron spent parts of the first three seasons of his career in Detroit before continuing his journey through Oakland and Milwaukee.
The latest stop adds another layer to a career that has already taken him well beyond the path many former prospects follow. Cameron, the son of former big leaguer Mike Cameron, has kept finding new opportunities to extend his run in professional baseball, and Toronto will now get a closer look at what he can still provide. [Read more 🡒]