Now, what will they do with that pick in July’s draft?
One outlet has the Tigers taking a bat, with Baseball America slotting Florida outfielder Wyatt Langford to Detroit in its mock draft posted Wednesday.
Langford walloped 26 home runs last season for the Gators, hitting .355 with a 1.166 OPS.
“Langford was the most prominent fall riser in the 2023 draft class after turning in improved run times that make a center field profile look more likely,” Baseball America’s Carlos Collazo writes. “If that’s the case, his bat goes from profiling well to profiling exceptionally. … He led the Gators in all three triple slash categories (in 2022), home runs, hits, runs, triples and total bases. His 26 homers were best among all SEC hitters and tied for sixth among all Division I hitters, along with Tennessee Tech’s Jason Hinchman and Georgia Tech’s Kevin Parada.”
An impact college bat could eventually boost a Tigers offense that was among the league’s worst last season, ranking last in runs scored (557), home runs (110) and second to last in OPS (.632).