Tigers take athletic prep shortstop Jordan Yost at No. 24

DETROIT -- The names change, but for the Tigers under president of baseball operations Scott Harris and amateur scouting director Mark Conner, the Draft strategy remains the same.

Jordan Yost entered the Draft at No. 50 in MLB Pipeline’s rankings, but with a reputation for elite contact skills. The left-handed hitting shortstop struck out just 10 times in his prep career at Sickles High School in Tampa, including only once in his senior season. His 55 hit grade on MLB Pipeline’s 20-80 scouting scale -- 80 is considered top class -- was surpassed only by his 60 run grade.

“Second game of the year, we were playing Wharton High School down in Tampa, and it was Daniel Duno,” Yost said of his only strikeout this year. “He threw a two-strike curveball in the dirt, and I check-swung and I went around. Chased that one, but tried to kind of learn from that.”

For an organization that preaches dominating the strike zone and values athleticism, that skillset fits. Add in a body frame that’s filling out and a rising Draft stock thanks to a strong senior season and impressive MLB Draft Combine performance, and the Tigers saw enough to select him with the 24th overall pick on Sunday, the first of Detroit’s four spots on the first night of the Draft.

Likewise, Long Island prep catcher Michael Oliveto ranked 219th per MLB Pipeline, but his eye-opening performance at last fall’s World Wood Bat Association championships in Jupiter, Fla., put the Hauppage High School star and his sweet left-handed swing on the Tigers’ radar. A strong combine only enhanced that, to the point that the Tigers selected him with their competitive balance pick at No. 34, 10 picks after Yost.

“Being able to go down there and perform and show what I could do, that changed everything for me,” Oliveto said. “It all happened really quick. I mean, it started eight months ago, and now here we are. It just is surreal, and so grateful that I was able to do that.”

He became the first high school catcher drafted by the Tigers in the first round since Bill Henderson in 1987, and just the fifth since Gene Lamont was the Tigers’ first-ever draft pick in 1965.

“We feel like we got two really exciting high school players at premium positions,” general manager Jeff Greenberg said.

Yost was a late bloomer who rose up Draft boards as his body filled out -- he’s listed at six feet and 170 pounds, but entered high school weighing 115 according to amateur scouting director Mark Conner -- and he added power to his swing. The Tigers and area scout RJ Burgess had followed him since early in his career and noted the growth in his body as well as his game.

“Smooth left-handed swing, really good bat-to-ball skills,” Conner said. “Defensively has every attribute to stay at shortstop, really good actions, accurate thrower. Wired in a tremendous way, works hard, very flatlined with his heartbeat, just a good kid, hard worker with a really good swing.”

The Tigers are already fairly deep at shortstop in their farm system. Top prospect Kevin McGonigle plays there, as well as second base, though he’s considered likely to play the latter primarily long term in Detroit. Bryce Rainer, the Tigers’ top Draft pick last year, is their No. 3 prospect who had a strong introduction to pro ball this spring before suffering a shoulder injury that required season-ending surgery. No. 11 prospect Franyerber Montilla is also at shortstop.

The Tigers believe Yost has the athleticism to stick at shortstop long-term. Like many high schoolers drafted, he’ll require patience as he develops through the system.

“I started out at a really low weight. Just not a very physical kid,” Yost said, “but kind of keep grinding and understand that it’ll take me to where I want to be, taking no days off, getting in the cages, getting on the field for work, continuing to work on the speed, just continuing to make slow jumps every single year up until this point. Obviously, it’s still a long way to go, but it’s definitely a step in the right direction.”

Likewise, the Tigers have depth in their system at catcher below rising star Dillon Dingler in Detroit. Josue Briceño and Thayron Liranzo, their No. 4 and No. 5 prospects according to MLB Pipeline, are teammates at Double-A Erie, and Briceño just had an impressive performance at the MLB Futures Game.

But good catchers are hard to find, and system depth is an asset that can translate into options in Detroit or currency in trades.

Like Briceño, Oliveto might not stick at catcher, but his left-handed power swing -- if it develops -- could be enough to fit at another position.

"Honestly this was an exciting one just because our guys identified him a little bit later in the process,” Conner said. “Really good loose swing, projects to have power, bat-to-ball skills. Definitely some work to do behind the plate as far as just handling some new pitchers and different stuff, but very intelligent kid, driven, hard-working with a frame to add a lot of strength.”

Said Oliveto: “I’ve always been a catcher, but I haven’t solely focused on catching until more recently. So there’s plenty of room to grow there, and I’m every excited about what could be going on in the future.”

Both Yost and Oliveto have college commitments. Yost had committed to the University of Florida, where his older brother Hayden is an outfielder who just completed his sophomore season. Oliveto committed to Yale before his Draft stock began rising. Both are expected to turn pro given their Draft position.

“As things started picking up with pro ball, I think I became a lot more committed to that,” Yost said, “especially the last month or two.”

The Yale commitment speaks to the mental side of the game that Oliveto commands.

"Makeup is crucial in every position on the field,” assistant general manager Rob Metzler said, “but certainly I think his intelligence is going to help him in particular as a catching prospect who’s going to be responsible both for progressing offensively but also for working with the pitching staff and all the responsibility that the position entails.”

Under Harris and Conner, the Tigers have been opportunistic using below-slot signings early to save bonus pool money to draft highly-rated high-school players later and sign them above slot. Last year, they did it with pitchers Owen Hall (second round), Ethan Schiefelbein (Competitive Balance Round B) and Zach Swanson (ninth round). In 2023, they did it with lefty pitcher Paul Wilson (third round) and third baseman Carson Rucker (fourth round). All of them are on MLB Pipeline’s Top 30 Tigers prospect list.

For now, however, the Tigers rounded out Day 1 of the Draft with a pair of college pitchers: Oklahoma’s Malachi Witherspoon in Round 2, then Arizona State lefty Ben Jacobs in Round 3.

Malachi Witherspoon, RHP (Round 2, No. 62 overall)
• Bats/throws: R/R
• School: University of Oklahoma
• Calling Card: The older brother of Red Sox first-round pick Kyson Witherspoon, Malachi has a big arm with a power fastball that sits 95-97 mph and tops out at 99. He complements that with a tight slider in the upper 80s and a big curveball in the low 80s. He has a starter’s repertoire, but the power to potentially become a late reliever.
Quote: “Very excited for Malachi to be working with our pitching group. Over the last couple years he has definitely progressed with his strike-throwing ability. He is a tireless worker that’s going to get the most out of his ability, and we're excited to hand him off to our pitching development group.” -- Conner

Ben Jacobs, LHP (Round 3, No. 98 overall)
Bats/throws: L/L
School: Arizona State
Calling Card: Tigers fans would be forgiven for looking at Jacobs and remembering former Detroit left-hander Nate Robertson, from the left arm to the goggles. Jacobs isn’t quite as big, but he has a fastball that flirts with the mid-90s, complemented by a slider and changeup, both in the low 80s.
Quote: “He’s an athletic left-hander with a good body and a really good foundational fastball that we think we’re going to be able to build a starter’s repertoire around.” -- Metzler