High school shortstops will be favorite targets for teams at the top of next month’s MLB Draft, with four potentially poised to be selected in the top 10.
The Detroit Tigers, though, could go in a different direction.
Baseball America released its fifth mock draft on Friday, and pegged Oklahoma high school right-hander Jackson Jobe for the Tigers at No. 3, following back-to-back prep shortstop selections from the Pittsburgh Pirates (Marcelo Mayer at No. 1) and Texas Rangers (Jordan Lawlar, No. 2).
This comes on the heels of MLB.com’s latest mock draft on Wednesday, which also slotted Jobe to the Tigers.
More: Tigers draft watch: Why Jackson Jobe could be an option for Detroit at No. 3
Both mocks mention Detroit’s apparent desire to land Mayer of Chula Vista (California) Eastlake, but don’t expect him to be available when the Tigers take their first turn in the draft, which is July 11-13.
“If Mayer is available at this spot, it seems like the Tigers would jump at the chance to get him,” Carlos Collazo of Baseball America writes. “With a potential floor of No. 3, it seems like Mayer has the highest range of outcomes of any player in the class. Obviously, Mayer isn’t available in this situation, so the attention turns to two other names who are consistently linked to Detroit: Jobe and Georgia shortstop Brady House.
“House has been linked to the Tigers throughout the spring and we continue to hear that the organization really likes him, but they also seem to like Jobe — who pitch for pitch might grade out better than any arm in this year’s draft class. It would be unwise to forget about (Vanderbilt right-hander Jack) Leiter at this spot as well, but the three high school players are the common names we hear tied to the Tigers.”
More: Coveted prep shortstop Marcelo Mayer a two-way star atop Tigers’ wish list
More: Tigers draft watch: With no consensus top pick, Detroit keeps options open
Jim Callis of MLB.com has Mayer (No. 1) and Leiter (No. 2) going in the top two spots of his latest mock, leaving the Tigers to take the Oklahoma City Heritage Hall ace.
“The Tigers openly covet Mayer,” Callis writes. “He’s unlikely to get to No. 3, however, so they’ll probably choose between Jobe (who comes with the risk inherent with high school arms but has a better combination of stuff and command than the more heralded Vanderbilt righties), Georgia prep shortstop Brady House, Leiter and (North Carolina high school shortstop Kahlil) Watson.”
The 6-foot-3, 200-pound Jobe helped lead Heritage Hall to a Class 4A state title this year, putting up dominating numbers: 10 games, 51⅔ innings, 15 hits, 122 strikeouts, and five walks. He allowed one earned run as a senior (good for a 0.14 ERA), and all of three earned runs in his Heritage Hall career.