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The Detroit Tigers have had a clear game plan with their last four first-round picks. Each of them was a high school talent, which is not something many teams do.
Some teams like to lean heavily on college talent, getting more developed players and guys who can make an impact throughout the minor leagues sooner rather than later.
Luckily for Detroit, tons of prep talent have made a case for their name to be called during the first round in a few months. However, there are some college names that will likely make the Tigers think twice.
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MLB analyst sets the stage for the Tigers to draft Kentucky's 'well-rounded' shortstop
Outside of pitchers, shortstops are usually quick to be drafted. It's a premier position in baseball, being the captain of the infield and getting a majority of the groundballs hit on the left side of the infield.
There's a chance that the top three picks are all shortstops in Roch Cholowsky, Grady Emerson, and Jacob Lombard. So, Detroit will likely miss out on them, but maybe not Kentucky's Tyler Bell at pick No. 22, per Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter.
"It looks like Bell made the right choice honoring his commitment to Kentucky rather than signing as the No. 66 overall pick in the 2024 draft out of high school, as he is poised to be a first-round selection two years later. A well-rounded shortstop with no clear hole in his game, he is hitting .347/.518/.573 with 15 extra-base hits, 10 steals and a 17.1 percent walk rate this spring."
Bell is a switch-hitter and is proficient from both sides of the plate with the bat speed and strength to mash baseballs over the fence. Defensively, he has smooth footwork and a solid arm that can stick at shortstop.
However, he does have the ability to play all over the diamond if it comes to that.
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