In the 2021 MLB Amatuer Draft, five Auburn players were selected to pro clubs. While none of those five have made it to the big league yet, Auburn has proven its status as a pipeline to the MLB. Here’s an update on five Tigers who have made it to “The Show”, and what’s expected of them this season.
Casey Mize - DET (RHP)
Mize returns to a much more competitive Tigers team that added MLB big names Austin Meadows and Javy Baez in the offseason.
There’s no doubt that in his third season of work, the Tigers are expecting the former first overall pick to perform as advertised in the draft. His stats improved significantly in 2021 from his shortened rookie season in 2020. His walk rate went down to a 2.5 BB/9, and his home run rate went to a 1.4 HR/9.
Pitching in a hitter’s park with plenty of strong bats in his division will certainly inflate his ERA, but if he can improve his strikeout numbers, Mize could be primed for a breakout season.
The most essential part of his development will be staying healthy, as more innings will allow for more growth. While avoiding any stints on the injured list last season, he exited the game prior to the fifth inning in many of his starts. Two years removed from the COVID-shortened season and a year after the MLB implemented a crack-down on the use of sticky substances, Mize hopes to get a normal year to work on his durability.
Josh Donaldson - NYY (3B)
Donaldson was sent via trade to New York just two years into his $92 million deal with the Twins. After an injury-plagued 2020, he silenced his detractors by playing 135 games in 2021 for Minnesota, slugging .475 in the process.
"The bringer of rain’s" most striking feature is his intensity, which has not faded with age. Last year, he confronted White Sox pitcher Lucas Giolito in the parking lot after a game, and fired mean-spirited comments about him to the media in the days after. His attitude doesn't exactly match the clean-cut reputation of the Yankees, who even required him to shave his beard upon arrival.
When performance is considered, you can expect an increase in home runs this season from his 2021 total of 26, due to going an AL East filled with southpaw pitching, as well as the hitter-friendly dimensions of Yankee Stadium.
Keegan Thompson - CHC (RHP)
Thompson made his debut last season after being drafted in the third round of the 2017 draft. Despite playing for an underwhelming Cubs team and switching between the bullpen and rotation, he was impressive. He sported a 3.38 ERA and struck out 9.3 hitters per nine innings.
Playing on a retooled Chicago team and inheriting a more established role as a starter will only help his numbers. That, as well as a relatively weak NL Central will give him plenty of opportunities to drop his ERA.
Currently, he is under suspension for intentionally hitting Brewers’ outfielder Andrew McCutchen on April 9th. After his three-game hiatus, however, Thompson looks ready to deliver many quality appearances throughout the rest of the season.
Garrett Cooper - MIA (1B)
Cooper made his MLB debut all the way back in 2017. While he’s struggled to stay healthy, he’s had spurts of great production from the middle of the lineup. In a COVID-shortened 2020 season, he batted for an average of .283 with six homers in only 34 games. Last year, he played only 71 games but still managed to slug .845.
With the addition of the DH position to the NL this year, he doesn't have to compete with starting first baseman Jesus Aguilar for at-bats. Miami is certainly a team on the rise this season, adding Jorge Soler and Jacob Stallings to the roster. While the NL East is very competitive this season, expect Cooper to make plenty of noise in the box.
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Dylan Fox, Junior in Civil Site Design Engineering, joined The Plainsman as a sports writer in Spring 2020. From Geneva, IL.
