Baseball America's latest staff draft is out, and once again, the Detroit Tigers are making headlines—this time for how they plan to restock their pitching depth early in the 2026 draft. For Tigers fans, the draft has long been a beacon of hope, especially during the lean Al Avila years. Even now, with Detroit sitting in first place, the excitement around future talent is hard to shake.

So, what exactly is a "Staff Draft"? Think of it as a mock draft without insider intel on specific team-player connections. Instead, Baseball America's analysts make educated guesses based on each organization's recent tendencies and the types of players they typically favor. For the Tigers, that formula has meant targeting athletic high schoolers up the middle, overlooked college arms, and the occasional underslot college pick to manage the bonus pool. Just look at 2023, when Detroit grabbed Max Clark, Kevin McGonigle, Max Anderson, and Jaden Hamm. Or 2024, with Bryce Rainer, Owen Hall, and Ethan Schiefelbein. The pattern is clear: if you're a rangy defender or a raw pitcher with upside, the Tigers are likely watching.

In this latest projection, BA covered Detroit's first three picks: No. 22, No. 61, and No. 69. The first two are standard selections, while the third comes from Competitive Balance Round B—a perk for smaller-market teams. The Tigers have a bonus pool of $9,165,100 to work with and can exceed that by 5% without major penalties, just a small tax. Since they won't receive any extra picks from Qualifying Offer compensation, their pool is relatively modest. That makes every pick count even more.

Leading the charge is Coleman Borthwick, a towering right-handed pitcher from South Walton High School in Florida's panhandle. Listed at 6'5" and 255 pounds, Borthwick is a throwback to the power-armed prospects Dave Dombrowski used to covet. His fastball touches 98 mph, and he pairs it with a sharp slider that he can consistently command. For a Tigers organization that loves building from the mound, Borthwick fits the blueprint perfectly.