Detroit Tigers: 3 Christmas wishes for the 2021 season

Christmas wish #2: For the Detroit Tigers to draft Jack Leiter or Adrian Del Castillo in the 2021 MLB Draft.

When the Detroit Tigers prep for their 2021 summer, they will again be given a top pick in the 2021 MLB First-Year Amateur Player Draft. They have the third overall selection in the 2021 MLB Draft and will add yet another top talent to the organization.

Early lists and indications have the Tigers selecting the third overall ranked prospect, Matt McLain, a shortstop from UCLA. However, there are a few other options the Tigers should consider spending their third overall pick on. This would make the Tigers’ Christmas wish come true.

The Tigers need to consider taking starting pitcher Jack Leiter with the third overall selection. The product of Vanderbilt is currently ranked number three in the draft class. Ranked first overall is another product of Vanderbilt, Kumar Rocker, who will likely be the first selection.

Leiter could climb up the rankings with a strong 2021 season for the Commodores at Vanderbilt.  He sits 91-93 on the fastball, topping at 96 mph once during the 2020 season. He has a curveball and slider to pair with the fastball. He does feature a changeup as a fourth offering, which he has shown he can put to use when needed.

If Leiter is there, the Tigers can add to their stable of prospect arms to prolong their window of competition for years to come. Leiter may not have a large sample size at the college level, but he would fit well and develop well in the Tigers system.

On the other side of the ball, there is a catcher the Tigers could consider. This may seem a bit interesting, considering the organization took Dillon Dingler this past summer in the draft. Dingler is a pure athlete and could wind up shifting positions if the Tigers get radical and take Adrian Del Castillo, a catcher from the University of Miami.

Del Castillo is a player who projects to be quite gifted in the box and should develop into a solid hitter. As mentioned above, Dingler could be on the move to a new position if Del Castillo is the pick, but it could also be Del Castillo. There is not a ton to love about Del Castillo’s defense for the long-term. But the bat is quite exciting and something the Tigers should not pass up.

Whether it is Leiter to add to the plethora of pitchers or Del Castillo to bring another exciting bat to the organization this Christmas, fans are just hoping some wisdom gets passed on to Avila to make the right choice.