MLB Draft 2017: Tigers select Alex Faedo with 18th overall pick

With the 18th pick in the draft, the Tigers have selected right-handed pitcher Alex Faedo from the University of Florida. In mock drafts, Downs was projected to go 10th to the Angels by MLB.com’s Jim Callis and Baseball America’s John Manuel, 13th to the Marlins by ESPN’s Keith Law, and 17th to the Mariners by MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo.

The 6-foot-5, 225-pound Faedo throws a mid-90s fastball and a dominant slider. He’s also begun to mix in a changeup which could serve as the third pitch in his mix if he ends up being a starter in the majors. Faedo, a high-school teammate of the late José Fernández, certainly has the stuff to succeed as a reliever if he can’t develop a more

Faedo is advanced enough that he could probably get to the majors within two or three years if his changeup continues to develop. If he ends up becoming a reliever, he could move through the minors even faster.