The Detroit Tigers have been leaning into a draft strategy that prioritizes high-upside prep talent and value-driven college picks, and that approach often means finding budget-friendly development projects in the later rounds. Enter Preston Howey, a right-hander out of St.
Mary’s College who signed for the minimum as a senior in the 14th round of the 2024 draft. On paper, Howey didn’t generate much buzz on draft day-but fast forward to the end of the 2025 season, and he’s quietly become a name worth watching in Detroit’s system.
After a brief stint on the mound post-draft in 2024, Howey opened the 2025 campaign with High-A West Michigan in a bullpen role. He settled in quickly, showing enough polish and durability to earn a late-season opportunity to start.
Over 62 innings, he posted a 3.19 ERA-numbers that reflect a solid debut campaign. While his walk rate ticked up during his final few starts, that seemed more like a product of fatigue than a red flag.
For most of the year, he attacked the zone with confidence and limited hard contact.
Physically, Howey doesn’t fit the mold of a prototypical power pitcher. He’s listed at 5’10” with a compact, athletic frame, but he generates decent extension and has seen a tick up in velocity since turning pro.
By the end of the season, he was sitting comfortably at 94 mph and touching 95-96. His low release point gives his fastball some sneaky life up in the zone, and he’s begun to harness his above-average spin rate to get more ride out of a three-quarters arm slot.
It’s not elite carry just yet, but with a little more velocity, the fastball could become a legit weapon.
The secondary stuff is still a work in progress, but there’s something to build on. His slider comes in firm around 87 mph.
It lacked consistency at times, but when he got on top of it, the pitch flashed above-average with tight, late break. The changeup, a circle grip offering, is close in velocity to the slider and doesn’t feature dramatic movement, but it did generate some ugly swings thanks to its late fade and deceptive arm action.
It’s not likely to be a major factor unless he makes a significant leap with it, but it’s in the toolbox.
What makes Howey intriguing isn’t just the raw stuff-it’s the command. He already locates his fastball well, and that gave him a solid foundation in High-A.
Hitters didn’t square him up often, especially in the air. While the slider didn’t miss as many bats as you’d like to see, that should change if he tightens up the command and finds more consistency with the shape.
The Tigers gave him a look in the rotation late in the year, but that was more about organizational need than a shift in his long-term role. Realistically, his future is in the bullpen, and that’s where his profile makes the most sense.
If he can add a bit more velocity-say, sitting 96-97 in short bursts-and sharpen the slider, he’s got a real shot to become a quality middle relief arm. As he heads into Double-A in 2026, Howey is one of those under-the-radar arms who could take a big step forward with just a couple of tweaks.