Detroit Tigers: 3 players to watch for in the 2021 MLB Draft

Jackson Baumeister – RHP from The Bolles School in Florida (HS)

When I wrote up my five selection mock draft version 1.0 recently, I had the Detroit Tigers selecting Jay Allen, another prep schooler from Florida. I mentioned that I was able to watch Jay Allen in person at the Florida High School State Championships.

Being able to watch guys in person makes a huge difference and allows you to see a lot more. When it comes to right-hander Jackson Baumeister, this remains true. I was able to watch one of his starts in the FHSAA postseason, and the stuff is very present.

Baumeister is a 6-foot-3, 217-pound pitcher who attacks the zone and is not afraid to challenge hitters. He will reach back for the mid-90s velocity, and he worked 91-94 and touched 95 mph in the start that I saw. MLB dot com has him up to 96 mph, so velocity is there, and it is shown pretty easily.

He’s got a big over the head delivery, which helps him get his timing in sync. He mixes the high-velo fastball with a breaking ball that he has shown a feel for. The breaker is an upper-70s range breaking ball with great depth. He does drop it to more of an 11-to-5 movement that can appear to be a high-tilt slider when it’s thrown with higher velocity.

For the most part, when I saw him, Baumeister was a two-pitch mix guy working fastball/breaking ball, but he did mix in a few changeups. The changeups had some fade, but he rarely showed it, only to lefties looking for an off-the-plate whiff.

Baumeister is committed to play collegiate ball for Florida State University; if the Tigers can get him high enough, it may entice him to turn to professional baseball. Baumeister would be a nice young arm to throw into the farm system and see what he can do as he continues to develop.

Working some on his breaking ball and making him into an effective 3-pitch mix guy would be exceptional. The Tigers should have Baumeister on their radar when the 2021 MLB Draft rolls around.