Why These Tigers Top MLB Draft Picks Have Such High Ceilings

The Detroit Tigers are amidst an awful season where wins have been incredibly hard to attain. The last 10 games have seen slight improvement, but the Tigers remain eight games under .500, and 6.5 games behind the White Sox exiting the All-Star break. With that in mind, Detroit selected college players with eight of their top 10 picks.

Whether or not those two facts are coincidental is up for debate, but either way, the Tigers finally have some wins to be excited about, especially at the top.

WIN: Cameron Flukey, 22nd overall

The thing with Flukey is that Detroit is betting on upside. He missed a majority of the 2026 collegiate season with a rib stress fracture, but he was dominant in 2025. He owned a 3.19 ERA over 18 games (17 starts) with Coastal Carolina, and racked up a 10.4 strikeouts per nine during his sophomore campaign. The problem is that he only threw 79 innings through his other two seasons combined.

When on the mound, he's produced a mid-90s fastball with wicked movement, with good off-speed and breaking balls as well. The 6-6 righty was ranked at No. 15 by MLB.com prior to the draft, so the Tigers hypothetically got a steal. He has high upside, and with Tarik Skubal's end in Detroit around the corner, the Tigers will need another ace in the near future.

Tyson LeBlanc, 61st overall

Tyson LeBlanc has always hit well in college, no matter the level. He started at the DII Louisiana State-Eunice out of high school and took off immediately. His hit tool was phenomenal during his freshman campaign, but it took his power a couple of seasons to fully blossom. He batted .367 with 15 homers over his first two seasons at LSUE before he transferred to Kansas for his junior season.

He wasted no time adjusting to Division I baseball and saw his power come in immediately. He smashed 25 homers and drove in 69 runs in 63 games and owned a 1.131 OPS. His strikeout rate wasn't as low as he'd like, but he made up for it with loads of walks.

Not only can he hit for average and power, but he also has speed. He stole 73 bases over his two seasons with LSUE, but seemed apprehensive about stealing at Kansas. Despite just swiping 11 bags, he was only caught once. MLB.com ranked him as the No. 113 prospect, which is insane for his ceiling. This is a massive win for the Tigers, and a player fans should be watching fly through the system.

"He’s an all-around good player. It’s not just power. He had a tremendous season. And honestly, I think the thing that we’re most excited about is how he’s wired. He is an ultra-competitive kid that just has a really good mind for the game, really good aptitude, and has shown progress over his college career." – Tigers amateur scouting director Mark Conner, per MLB.com.

With these two top picks in the draft, the Tigers didn't swing and miss. Detroit hit on two high-level prospects who already produced at high levels in college. Both of these players have bright futures ahead and incredibly high ceilings.

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