Here are the Tigers' 2026 Draft picks

DETROIT – The Tigers are well aware of their reputation for drafting up-the-middle position players from high school with their early picks. Even if they weren’t, the mock drafts over the last couple of months made it abundantly clear.

So you can excuse assistant general manager and scouting director Rob Metzler for cracking a smile Saturday night when asked about their selection of college players with their top three picks in this year’s Draft.

What initially looked like an outlier with Coastal Carolina right-hander Cameron Flukey their top pick at 22nd overall turned out to not be, well, a fluke. The Tigers drafted more college players in the first two rounds Saturday (three) than they did in the first two rounds of their previous three Drafts combined. Not since 2022, the Tigers’ final Draft under general manager Al Avila and scouting director Scott Pleis, had they used their top three picks on college players.

“Just a reflection of how the Draft fell,” Metzler said. “We line up our board to the best of our ability each year, bringing in perspectives from across the organization. Sometimes you never know how that board’s going to play out on Draft day. It’s what makes today so exciting, makes it a fun day. Couldn’t be more excited about how it turned out.

“It might look like a different crop than last year, and obviously our processes continue to develop, but I wouldn’t take anything more from it other than just the way 2026 Day 1 worked out for us.”

The Tigers went the prep route more on Day 2, taking a few mid- to late-round picks on well-regarded high school players with college commitments. Though the NIL era in college athletics has changed some of the financial factors for top prep talents, the Tigers and other teams are almost always well aware of their signability chances before taking a pick.

“I think it’s just the way the Draft board fell this year,” Metzler said. “We’re always aware of the baseball landscape and how that’s going to impact decision making. And I would highlight the relationships our staff make with players to understand what their goals are and what’s going to be their best development path in the short and long term, to put us in a really good position to communicate with potential Tigers and figure out if there might be a fit.”

Here’s a look at the Tigers’ picks after Round 1:

Tyson LeBlanc, SS

• Round 2, Pick 61
• Bats/throws: R/R
• School: Kansas
• Calling Card: LeBlanc has a range of above-average tools, led by a combination of contact and power at the plate. He broke the Jayhawks’ single-season record with 25 homers after transferring from junior college. Doing so while playing shortstop, as the Tigers believe he can do in pro ball, creates an intriguing package in a prospect,
• Quote: ”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

Evan Dempsey, RHP

• Comp Round B, Pick 69
• Bats/throws: L/R
• School: Florida Gulf Coast
• Calling Card: Dempsey was a two-way player for FGCU, but he’s expected to focus his pro career on pitching with a fastball approaching the mid-90s and a high-spin curveball and slider. He has high-strikeout stuff that could fit in a rotation or a bullpen, particularly if he gets a velo boost once he focuses full time on pitching.
• Quote: ”One of the things over the years we’ve been trying to add is really good athletes to the organization. We drafted Dempsey as a pitcher, but he was a really good hitter in college. Truthfully, it’s the athlete, it’s the compete, it’s the fire that he has. He’s been focusing a lot of energy on both sides of the ball, and truthfully, as he focuses on one side of the ball on the mound, we think he’s got a chance to take off. We’re super excited about him.” – Conner

Dominic Pellegrin, SS

• Round 4, Pick 125
• Bats/throws: R/R
• School: Holy Cross High School (LA)
• Calling Card: The Tigers still got their up-the-middle prep player, just later than usual and with a sneaky pick. Pellegrin didn’t rank in MLB Pipeline’s Top 300 Draft prospects, but he generated late buzz on the scouting circuit, particularly after a standout performance in the MLB Draft League. His athleticism stands out, particularly on defense, and his offensive game has a chance to blossom as he fills out physically.
• Quote: “Our area scout did a great job of identifying a player that wasn’t on the circuit. Players are everywhere, and they come from different places, different trajectories at different times. … He’s a very athletic kid that is wired really well, that has really good hands at short and has shown the ability to put the bat on the ball.” – Conner

More on the Tigers' 2026 Draft:

• Opportunistic Tigers jump on power arm Flukey with No. 22 overall pick
• Tigers' 2026 Draft Tracker

Rounds 5-10
The Tigers went for some tools here, mainly from the college ranks, with the idea of bringing in talent for their player development system to help refine. Fifth-rounder Declan Dahl is a funky pitcher with deception. Sixth-rounder Maddox Molony (Oregon) and seventh-rounder Brady Ballinger (Kansas) looked like potential Day 1 picks going into their junior seasons but dropped a bit, yet still have the tools to make it. Eighth-rounder Robert Omidi is a prep slugger from Ontario who brings power potential on the left side of the infield; the No. 207 Draft prospect had committed to play college ball at Kentucky. Ninth-rounder Kenneth Ward is a 24-year-old converted position player from NAIA program Park University-Gilbert with a 100 mph fastball. New Mexico State’s Jack Turner, Detroit’s 10th-round pick, brings a similar look to Dahl.

Player to watch: Declan Dahl, RHP

• Round 5, Pick 158
• Bats/throws: R/R
• School: Louisiana Tech
• Calling Card: Dahl is a bit of a funky pitcher with a quick release and a low arm angle, which adds some deception to a fastball that sits 91-93 mph but has topped out at 95. His changeup is a swing-and-miss pitch.
• Quote: “Whenever you have a pitcher that has a little bit of uniqueness to him and a different look, that creates some deception, some different angles, some different ball flight. From our scouting, pitching group, analysts, player development, he was a big favorite of a lot of people throughout the organization that did a lot of work on him, and we’re super excited.” – Conner

Rounds 11-15
Two high-rated high schoolers with power college commitments bookended the segment, a pair of interesting picks for the later rounds. Will Adams, the No. 102-ranked prospect on MLB Pipeline’s list, was the Gatorade Player of the Year in Alabama and an LSU commit whom Detroit selected in the 11th round. While his defensive position is to be determined, the left-handed swing will earn him a spot somewhere if he hits. Dustin Dunwoody, a 15th-round pick, is a USC commit and a right-hander with upside, particularly if he can add velocity to his low- to mid-90s fastball.

Player to watch: Will Adams, 1B

• Round 11, Pick 336
• Bats/throws: L/L
• School: Hoover (Ala.) High School
• Calling Card: Though Adams was a standout two-way player, his hit tool drew the Tigers to take the chance here. He has a sweet left-handed swing that sent hits to all fields as a high schooler, and could have power potential as he fills out.
• Quote: “Really good kid that has a short swing that really works through the middle of the field well. He shows flashes of pull-side power. Part of it is just him learning to utilize his size and strength and catching balls out front. He’s got a chance to be a pretty dynamic hitter.” – Conner

Rounds 16-20
The Tigers went for pitching with their final eight picks, including this entire segment. That includes a pair of college relievers and a pair of high schoolers. Bellarmine’s Cade Rusch, their 19th-round pick, is the son of former Major Leaguer Glendon Rusch, but has more of a power fastball than his dad. Drake Meeks, Detroit’s 18th-round selection, also brought a power fastball to the bullpen at Southern Mississippi.

Player to watch: Jack Byers, RHP

• Round 18, Pick 546
• Bats/throws: R/R
• School: Artesia High School (NM)
• Calling Card: Byers is an Arizona commit with an easy, fluid delivery and the makings of a starter’s arsenal, including a low 90s fastball, changeup, cutter and curveball. He was a multi-sport athlete who was part of championship teams in football and basketball.
• Quote: “Good projection arm, multi-sport athlete that pounds the strike zone.” – Conner