It has been almost eight years since Casey Mize was selected first overall by the Detroit Tigers in the 2018 MLB Draft.
Mize, a right-handed pitcher, had an impressive season as a full-time starter for the Auburn Tigers. He posted a 3.30 ERA across 114.2 innings and 156 strikeouts.
Despite Auburn’s Super Regionals elimination, Mize was considered the most dominant pitcher in college baseball that season.
Mize’s Prospect Pedigree
Even dating back to 2015 at Springville High School in Alabama, Mize was considered a top pitching prospect. He went undrafted due to an ankle injury and signability concerns related to his Auburn commitment.
His split-finger fastball stood out, proving unhittable for college hitters. He also commanded a deep pitch mix and showed shape to his pitches.
Clocked consistently in the high-90s, Mize showed durability and a bulldog mentality.
He entered the Tigers organisation as the top prospect. This placed him ahead of Matt Manning, the Tigers’ 2016 first-round pick. The 2018 class also included Tarik Skubal, though he was not expected to reach his current heights as a back-to-back Cy Young Award winner at the time.
That was supposed to be Casey Mize.
Early Minor League Career
Mize only pitched in 13.2 innings in the minor leagues after being drafted before being shut down for the rest of the year.
In his first full minor league season, Mize pitched in High-A Lakeland and Double-A Erie. He threw a total of 109.1 innings, pitching to a 2.55 ERA and striking out 8.7 per nine. He even threw a no-hitter in his Double-A debut, striking out eight and walking one in 98 pitches.
Mize was heading into the 2020 season ready to make his major league debut.
The 2020 Season
The 2020 season could be a perfect encapsulation of how Mize’s career has been so far.
Though there was always the chance that he could have won a spot in the Opening Day rotation, we would never know, with that being the year w