Breaking down Detroit Tigers' picks in Rounds 11-20 of 2023 MLB draft
The Detroit Tigers made 10 selections in Rounds 11-20 on Tuesday in the 2023 MLB draft, completing the 20-round event. Three players were drafted Sunday and eight players were drafted Monday.
Twenty-one players were picked by the Tigers across the three days.
"In this stage of the draft, you might have to be a little bit more creative in looking for that talent," Tigers assistant general manager Rob Metzler said. "I would say that Day 3 is really a day where our area scout team can shine, and I think they really stepped up and put us in a really good position to find valuable players."
"These three days are the culmination of the work from a lot of people in this organization," Tigers scouting director Mark Conner said. "We think that we put together a good class. The challenge is to put together a good class on these three days every year. We're going to be happy and celebrate it."
On Sunday, the Tigers picked high school outfielder Max Clark in Round 1 (No. 3 overall), high school shortstop Kevin McGonigle in Competitive Balance Round A (No. 37 overall) and college second baseman Max Anderson in Round 2 (No. 45 overall).
By picking Anderson in Round 2, the Tigers saved bonus pool funds and were able to get aggressive in drafting two high school players in Round 3 (No. 76 overall) and Round 4 (No. 107 overall) at the beginning of Day 2.
"Every pick has influence on another pick because there's a bonus pool system," Metzler said. "We're going to be as aggressive as possible to use all of our resources. You have to maximize the opportunity as best you can, and I feel like we were able to do that throughout Day 1 and Day 2."
On Monday, the Tigers picked high school left-hander Paul Wilson in Round 3, high school third baseman Carson Rucker in Round 4, college right-hander Jaden Hamm in Round 5, college catcher Bennett Lee in Round 6, college shortstop John Peck in Round 7, high school right-hander Jatnk Diaz in Round 8, college right-hander Hayden Minton in Round 9 and college left-hander Andrew Sears in Round 10.
Players selected after the 10th round can be signed for a maximum of $150,000 without applying the bonus to the total pool, but anything more than $150,000 applies to the total pool.
The Tigers have the second-highest bonus pool at $15,747,200. Teams are allowed to exceed the allotment for picks by 5% before paying a 75% fine on the overage. No MLB team has exceeded the 5% limit since the slots were created.
"The reality of getting them all over the finish line might or might not happen," Metzler said of the high school selections in Rounds 17, 18 and 20. "We'll have to see what happens between now and July 25. That might be a very ambitious goal, but we'll see."
Meet the newest Tigers, beginning in the 11th round:
Alabama SS Jim Jarvis
Age: 22.
Vitals: 5 feet 10, 190 pounds.
Bats/throws: Left/right.
Drafted: 11th round (No. 320 overall).
The buzz: Jarvis, who spent four years in Tuscaloosa, won the Rawlings Gold Glove for his performance at shortstop in his senior season. He also became the first shortstop in program history named to the SEC All-Defensive Team. His defensive ability, including soft hands and sharp footwork, will allow him to stay at shortstop in the minor leagues, but to advance through the farm system, he needs to continue to put the ball in play and draw walks. As a senior, Jarvis hit .273 with six home runs, 33 walks and 38 strikeouts in 64 games. He probably won't hit for power, so he needs to rely on his on-base percentage and steady defense to reach the big leagues one day. One older brother, Mike Jarvis, plays in the Pittsburgh Pirates' organization (for High-A Greensboro). His other older brother, Luke Jarvis, played in the Miami Marlins' organization during the 2018 season before getting released in March 2019.
What Conner said: "He is a solid defender. He has good actions at shortstop and a legitimate chance to stay there long term. Offensively, left-handed hitter who really controls the strike zone and gives you a quality at-bat every time. Middle-of-the-diamond player at shortstop that can control the zone is pretty alluring."
Houston County (Georgia) High School RHP Andrew Dunford
Age: 18.
Vitals: 6-7, 235.
Bats/throws: Right/right.
Drafted: 12th round (No. 350 overall).
The buzz: Size and arm strength. Those characteristics define Dunford, whose fastball averages 93 mph and maxes out at 96 mph. The Mercer commit also throws a sweeping slider, changeup and curveball. He needs to be polished as a pitcher, making him a long-term project for the Tigers, but his above-average athleticism is a sign that he will find success in his development plan. Dunford profiles as a true power pitcher, and if he ends up signing, he could turn out to be a steal for the Tigers in the 12th round.
What Conner said: "Really good job by our area scout George Schaefer. He had a tremendous relationship with him. He saw him early and identified him. ... We had a lot of eyes on him throughout the year. Later in the year, he ended up coming to one of our workouts, where we were able to spend some time with him. Really good arm that we're excited about."
What Metzler said: "We're hopeful that we're going to be able to get something over the finish line with Andrew. He's very interested in professional baseball, and we're hopeful that something will work out between now and July 25."
Saint Joseph's OF Brett Callahan
Age: 21.
Vitals: 6-0, 195.
Bats/throws: Left/right.
Drafted: 13th round (No. 380 overall).
The buzz: Callahan hit .342 with 11 home runs, 30 walks and 34 strikeouts in 53 games as a junior this season en route an All-Atlantic-10 first-team selection. He also played seven games for the Bourne Braves in the Cape Cod League, hitting .250 with three walks and two strikeouts. The three-year college player showcased speed on the bases, plate discipline and the potential to develop his hit tool. He appears to be a well-rounded player with versatility in the outfield.
Connecticut 2B David Smith
Age: 22.
Vitals: 5-11, 195.
Bats/throws: Switch/right.
Drafted: 14th round (No. 410 overall).
The buzz: Smith began his college career at La Salle in 2020 and missed the entire 2021 season as a transfer to Connecticut, then played for the Huskies in the 2022 and 2023 campaigns. This season, Smith — who served as a team captain — hit .304 with five home runs, 45 walks and 54 strikeouts in 57 games. He scored 70 runs to become the second player in program history — along with four-time MLB All-Star George Springer — to reach that total. Smith, who plays the infield and outfield, tied for third on the Division I leaderboard with 39 stolen bases (in 44 attempts). He would benefit from developing power, but he is lauded for the consistent quality of his plate appearances. Getting on base shouldn't be an issue in the lower levels of the minor leagues.
Connors State College C Brady Cerkownyk
Age: 20.
Vitals: 6-0, 190.
Bats/throws: Right/right.
Drafted: 15th round (No. 440 overall).
The buzz: Cerkownyk — born in Toronto — dominated in 55 games for Connors State College as a freshman this season in the National Junior College Athletic Association. He finished second in batting average (.470), second in home runs (27) and first in RBIs (107). He nearly won the NJCAA Triple Crown, finishing only 12 points behind Wabash Valley's Nicklas Williams (who transferred to Michigan State) in batting average and one home run behind Weatherford's Robin Villeneuve (who transferred to Tennessee) in home runs. Still, Cerkownyk ranked first in the NJCAA with a .985 slugging percentage. After the season, he played 12 games for the Frederick Keys in the MLB Draft League and hit .243 with three doubles, zero home runs, five walks and 10 strikeouts.
What Conner said: "Steve Taylor is the area scout. He did a tremendous job identifying him, and then we had some other guys go in there and see him. We scouting him all the way up through the Draft League. He's an exciting player. He can defend and stay behind the plate, shows you a plus arm. And then he's got emerging power coming and puts up a quality at-bat. The season he put together was just unbelievable."
UNC Charlotte RHP Donye Evans
Age: 21.
Vitals: 6-6, 220.
Bats/throws: Right/right.
Drafted: 16th round (No. 470 overall).
The buzz: Evans played for Vanderbilt in his first two seasons of his college career and transferred to UNC Charlotte (in Conference USA) for his junior campaign in 2023. Working as a multi-inning reliever, Evans logged a 4.70 ERA with 28 walks and 64 strikeouts across 46 innings in 27 appearances. He throws four pitches: fastball, sinker, slider and cutter. His fastball velocity sits around 93 mph and reaches 96 mph. His massive hands — he can touch all five of his fingers together while holding a baseball — allow him to grip the ball in unique ways, while his low arm slot creates deception. After the season, Evans joined the Trenton Thunder in the MLB Draft League. He had a 7.50 ERA with five walks and five strikeouts over six innings in three games.
What Conner said: "Our area scout Matt Zamuda was leading the charge on him. The analysts behind the scenes were diving into the metrics and numbers. He seemed like a player we were targeting near the end. Fortunately, he came to one of our workouts that we had at the end. We had a lot of touch points with player development and the scouts. He has a very live arm with a low-90s fastball that can get in the mid-90s, and he can really spin the slider. Interested to see when our player development gets with him. Interested to see him take off."
Cooper City (Florida) High School LHP Bradley Stewart
Age: 18.
Vitals: 6-3, 220.
Bats/throws: Left/left.
Drafted: 17th round (No. 500 overall).
The buzz: Stewart has been committed to Eastern Kentucky since October 2021, so the Tigers will need to pry him away from the college route to sign him. He throws at least two pitches — fastball and slider — from a sidearm slot. His slider is responsible for most of his swings and misses.
What Conner said: "Good projecting left-handed pitcher. Good body, and he can spin a breaking ball. We feel like he's on the come."
Cypress Woods (Texas) High School 3B Ethan Farris
Age: 18.
Vitals: 6-5, 215.
Bats/throws: Right/right.
Drafted: 18th round (No. 530 overall).
The buzz: Farris has been committed to Texas State since July 2022, so like Stewart, he has to decide whether to sign with the Tigers or spend the next three seasons in the college ranks. He was named the All-Greater Houston Hitter of the Year for his performance as a senior at Cypress Woods, launching 10 home runs with a .477 batting average. Adding 15 pounds, as well as growing an inch, boosted his power numbers from his junior season to his senior season. He has experience playing third base and corner outfield.
What Conner said: "Big-body right-handed hitter with potential to grow into power. He plays in the dirt right now with potential to move out to the outfield with as athletic as he is."
Arizona State RHP Blake Pivaroff
Age: 22.
Vitals: 6-0, 200.
Bats/throws: Left/right.
Drafted: 19th round (No. 560 overall).
The buzz: Pivaroff, in his third season at Arizona State, posted a 4.18 ERA with 11 walks and 27 strikeouts across 32⅓ innings in 27 relief appearances. He pitched in the middle and late innings, recording three saves. His walks per nine innings dropped from 6.9 in 2022 to 3.1 in 2023 as a product of his commitment to pitching inside the strike zone. His fastball sat around 93 mph.
Tupelo (Mississippi) High School RHP Johnathan Rogers
Age: 18.
Vitals: 6-3, 220.
Bats/throws: Right/right.
Drafted: 20th round (No. 590 overall).
The buzz: Rogers has a choice to make: Sign with the Tigers or stick with his commitment to Louisiana-Lafayette. He has been committed to the Ragin' Cajuns since August 2022. His fastball touches 94 mph and sits around 90 mph. He also throws a curveball and changeup.
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him on Twitter @EvanPetzold.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Breaking down Detroit Tigers' picks in Rounds 11-20 of 2023 MLB draft
