Auburn RHP Casey Mize selected with the No. 1 overall pick in MLB Draft
By Adam Spencer
Published:
Auburn RHP Casey Mize has had quite a season, and it isn’t over yet, as the Tigers have advanced to the super-regional round after winning the Raleigh regional.
On Monday night, the good news continued for the talented hurler, as the Detroit Tigers made him the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft.
Mize is 10-5 for Auburn this year, striking out 151 batters in 109.2 innings pitched. He has held opponents to only a .195 average against him and has walked only 12 batters all year.
Recently ESPN baseball analyst David Dellucci spoke with Saturday Down South, comparing Mize to two-time National League ERA leader Kevin Brown, who won a World Series with the Florida Marlins in 1997:
“I think he’s got a little way to go, but the closest comparison I can remember facing is Kevin Brown, who was a National League ERA leader and (an) All-Star. Kevin Brown had a similar arsenal — he also had a fastball, a cutter, a two-seam fastball and a really good split-finger, which is what Casey Mize offers, along with the changeup. Very similar styles, very similar velocities.
“I look for Casey, as he continues to develop mentally and physically, I think he’s going to be that type of pitcher. (Brown) is the best guy who comes to mind.”
The Detroit Tigers are currently 28-32 and in second place in the AL Central, three games behind the division-leading Cleveland Indians.
Will Mize be part of a Detroit turnaround in a couple of years? Only time will tell, but for now, he’s the No. 1 overall pick, and his college career isn’t over just yet.
Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.
