Former Detroit Tigers Top Prospect Impresses in First Spring Training Start

This former first overall pick in the MLB draft was sharp in his first start of spring training for the Detroit Tigers on Sunday.

Detroit Tigers pitcher Casey Mize throws live batting practice during spring training at TigerTown in Lakeland, Fla. on Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Detroit Tigers are gearing up for the 2025 season, one in which they hope to build upon the immense momentum they generated in 2024 by making the playoffs and beating the Houston Astros in the American League Wild Card series.

To do that, the Tigers will need members of the starting rotation to step up and form a deep group behind reigning American League Cy Young award winner Tarik Skubal.

One candidate to make those contributions is Casey Mize, the first overall pick out of Auburn in the 2018 MLB draft. Mize, now 27 years old, has established himself as a worthy Major League hurler. But he has not made the leap that the Tigers hoped for when using the top pick to bring him in.

Mize and the organization both hope that jump is coming, and his performance in his first appearance of spring training on Sunday looks like the first data point that suggests he might.

Solid outing for Casey Mize 💪

2 IP | 2 H | 0 R | 0 BB | 3 K pic.twitter.com/ctgdnvlD5M

— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) February 23, 2025

Facing a New York Yankees lineup that featured regulars like Jazz Chisholm Jr., Paul Goldschmidt, Cody Bellinger and Anthony Volpe, Mize delivered two shutout innings while fanning three hitters, including Goldschmidt, Alex Jackson and Duke Ellis.

While the success is nice, perhaps the most encouraging aspect of what Mize showed on Sunday was the overpowering velocity on his four-seam fastball.

Mize threw just the two innings, but as of the fifth inning, he had the four fastest offerings in the contest, including a maximum velocity of 98.1 miles per hour.

If Mize can maintain that strength, it could be a differentiating factor from his 2024 self, which surrendered a 4.49 ERA in 22 appearances while striking out a mere 78 hitters in 102.1 innings pitched after missing the 2023 campaign with Tommy John surgery and a back injury.

Throughout last season, Mize averaged 95.5 miles per hour on his fastball according to Baseball Savant data. While that's still a strong number, it's nowhere near the peak he's capable of, and it led to poor results for his primary offering, as opposing batters hit at a .294 clip against the pitch while swinging and missing just 20.7% of the time.

If Mize can keep the heat up on this pitch, he'll be able to play around more with timing, and hitters will struggle to catch up with the increased speed. That should lead to more strikeouts, fewer barrels against and a better overall outcome for him this time around.

The Tigers do not need Mize to perform at an ace caliber level with Skubal around and Jack Flaherty back in the fold, but the team looks much more formidable if he's performing like a high-end third starter.