DETROIT (WXYZ) — On the first night of the 2024 Major League Baseball Draft, the Detroit Tigers selected three players, all of whom most recently played high school baseball.
With their lone first-round pick, the Tigers selected shortstop Bryce Rainer with the 11th overall pick.
Rainer, a 19-year-old who most recently played at Harvard-Westlake High School in California, posted a .505 batting average and a 1.336 OPS with four home runs and 22 RBI in 33 games of his high school season. After his senior season, Rainer was named a Baseball America and MaxPreps First Team All-American, and had previously been named the MaxPreps Freshman of the Year in 2021. He played with Team USA's 2023 18U National Team, appearing in eight games and getting a hit in seven of his 13 plate appearances.
With their lone second-round pick, the Tigers selected right-handed pitcher Owen Hall with the 49th overall pick.
Hall started nine games with Edmond North in Oklahoma, posting a 3-1 record with a 1.67 ERA, holding opponents to a batting average of .118. He was named a 6A All-Star by the Oklahoma Baseball Coaches Association, and was selected as a Perfect Game preseason All-American entering the 2024 season.
With a draft pick in Competitive Balance Round B, the Tigers selected left-handed pitcher Ethan Schiefelbein with the 72nd overall pick.
In ten games with Corona High School in California, Schiefelbein compiled an 8-0 record with a 0.27 ERA, 83 strikeouts and 11 walks in 52.0 innings. Like Rainer, he was also a MaxPreps All-American. Rainer and Schiefelbein were teammates on Team USA's 2023 18U National Team, with the pitcher going 1-0 with a 0.78 ERA.
The MLB Draft continues Monday with rounds 3-10, and concludes Tuesday with rounds 11-20. Heading into the All-Star break, the Tigers have won eight of their last 10 games and boast a 47-50, their best record at the All-Star break since 2016. The Tigers are 12 games behind the Cleveland Guardians, who lead the AL Central, and seven games back from a Wild Card spot.
