Tigers Baseball Report

Detroit Tigers May Have Found a Hidden Gem in Eighth Round of 2025 Draft

After sliding into the eighth round of the 2025 MLB draft, this Tigers selection could turn out to be the steal of the draft.
Tobey Schulman|
Jul 30, 2021; Detroit, Michigan, USA; The hat and glove of Detroit Tigers right fielder Robbie Grossman (8) sits on the ledge of the dugout during the first inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Comerica Park.
Jul 30, 2021; Detroit, Michigan, USA; The hat and glove of Detroit Tigers right fielder Robbie Grossman (8) sits on the ledge of the dugout during the first inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Comerica Park. | Raj Mehta-Imagn Images

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Detroit Tigers

The Detroit Tigers have built up the top end of their farm system through recent MLB drafts. With notable picks like Max Clark, Kevin McGonigle, and Bryce Rainer, the future looks bright in the Motor City. One pick who could add on to that potentially special future is their 2025 eighth-round pick.

With the No. 249 pick, the Tigers selected Nick Dumesnil, an outfielder from California Baptist. A standout college prospect in the 2025 draft, Dumesnil was ranked as the No. 118 draft prospect by MLB Pipeline.

That ranking projected his landing spot around the fourth round, where the No. 118 pick lies. However, Dumesnil would slide four additional rounds, right into the laps of Detroit.

Dumesnil is coming off a very strong 57-game campaign with California Baptist in 2025. Over 239 at-bats, he'd slash .360/.442/.598 for a 1.041 OPS. It was the second straight season Dumesnil recorded an OPS over 1.000.

Throughout his time in college, Dumesnil never recorded a batting average under .300, flashing his best plate discipline in 2025, walking at a rate north of 10%. The 21-year-old has hit 29 home runs over his last two college seasons, with 27 stolen bases in 2025 alone.

In his first cup of coffee in professional baseball, Dumesnil showed himself to be not an aggressive hitter, yet demonstrated the ability to make contact at a fairly efficient rate. He was excellent at limiting swing-and-miss, and can hopefully carry these traits into the 2026 season.

Dumesnil has shown that his overall hit tool can play above the slightly below-average 45-grade given to him by MLB Pipeline. While not extremely battle-tested in college, his consistency at the plate should stand out more than anything else.

There are question marks about his tools defensively, as he's also received a 45-grade on his arm. Despite the arm, there's no doubt that Dumesnil has the legs and speed to man down a spot in the outfield for the Tigers.

With Max Clark due to be up in the Majors well before Dumesnil, a long-term corner outfield spot looks to be the best fit. Whether or not he can tap back into that 2024 power is another question, but if he can continue to be an on-base machine, it won't be necessary for his success offensively.

Currently Detroit's No. 23 prospect on MLB Pipeline, Dumesnil could very well go down as the steal of the 2025 MLB draft.

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Tobey Schulman
TOBEY SCHULMAN

Tobey Schulman is a freelance writer currently covering baseball in the South Florida area, independently on X and SubStack. Prior to freelancing, Tobey was a writer for The Skippers View, covering both Major and Minor League Baseball. Over the past year, he has grown a following of almost 10,000 on X, while covering all things across the sport, both professional and amateur. In his free time he produces and live streams a podcast ‘Inside The Diamond’, where he co-hosts player interviews, breakdowns, and game watch parties.

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