The Detroit Tigers finally wrapped up their 2026 MLB draft class on Friday, shelling out a slightly overslot deal worth $1,608,955 to second round pick Tyson LeBlanc. This move came right up against the July 27 signing cut-off, but the real story is what led to Detroit presumably giving the Kansas Jayhawks shortstop everything they had left in their bonus pool, going a little over the recommended $1,523,600 slot bonus.
The High Stakes LeBlanc Bet
Talk about cutting it close, right? LeBlanc waited until the last possible minute, and it seems like the Tigers were playing a high-stakes game of poker with their bonus pool. The rumor is they were trying to lock down three prep players, but those guys ultimately just said “nope.” As a result, Detroit reportedly just dumped everything they had left into LeBlanc’s deal, pushing past that recommended bonus. You know how it is, sometimes things just don’t go according to plan.
Because those three late-round prep pitchers, Dustin Dunwoody (a 15th rounder), Jack Byers (17th round), and Will Zielinski (20th round), all decided to honor their college commitments instead of signing pro contracts. A tough pill to swallow for the Tigers, but honestly, it’s not exactly a shocker.
Prep Players Are a Tougher Catch Now
Let’s be real, the Tigers were really up against it this year with a smaller bonus pool and that second round competitive balance pick. Plus, it’s just getting ridiculously tough to sign high school guys unless they’re 100% committed to going pro, bonus be damned. College programs, with their NIL money, can now match those smaller bonuses that used to tempt lower-tier prep guys. It’s a whole new ballgame out there!
This isn’t just a one-off thing either. Detroit has already started shifting away from that prep-heavy draft strategy they kicked off in the Scott Harris era, and it looks like that’s going to keep happening, especially when they don’t have extra bonus cash to throw around. We would have loved to see Dunwoody, with his developing fastball-breaker combo and projection, locked up. But a commitment to USC made that a tough go. Zielinski, that Canadian high school standout with solid velocity and a nasty breaking ball, is heading to UC Santa Barbara. And Byers, who shows great command and a nice delivery, is off to the University of Arizona. What a gut punch for the Tigers, right?
Still, they did manage to snag some key guys: shortstop Maddux Molony, first baseman Will Adams, third baseman Robert Omidi, and that lightning-fast JUCO center fielder Tyler West. And don’t forget their first-rounder, Cameron Flukey, who could be a seriously strong frontline starter, and Evan Dempsey, a nice young arm from the comp round B. LeBlanc himself has juice and can really hit, giving them a right-handed infielder to balance out their lefty-heavy system, even if he probably moves off shortstop.
Overall, the Tigers are reportedly pretty happy with this draft class. It wasn’t ever going to be a “monster class” right out of the gate, especially with those bonus pool limits and the late-round position challenges. But landing Molony, Adams, Omidi, West, and getting Flukey and Dempsey in the mix? That’s still some solid building blocks for their future. We’ll have to watch how LeBlanc develops after that over-slot gamble and see if he can really hit like they think. Here’s hoping these guys pan out for the Motor City down the line.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bless You Boys.
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