Tigers start Day 2 of draft with backstop Dingler

The Tigers’ mission to add hitters to their pitching-heavy farm system continued Thursday in Day 2 of the MLB Draft. Detroit led off the second round by drafting Ohio State catcher Dillon Dingler.

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Along with No. 1 pick Spencer Torkelson, Dingler has an opportunity to move up the Tigers’ system once baseball resumes. On Thursday, at least, the Tigers benefited from Dingler moving down Draft boards. He was a projected first-round pick, ranked 21st on MLB Pipeline’s list, before dropping Wednesday.

Dingler wasn’t worried about that.

“It’s a first-world problem,” he said on a video conference with reporters. “It’s one pick apart. Five years down the road, nobody’s really going to remember.”

Dingler becomes the Tigers’ highest-drafted catcher since Detroit selected then-Arkansas Razorback James McCann in the second round in 2011. At 38th overall, Dingler is the earliest the Tigers have drafted a catcher since they took Eric Munson with the third overall pick in 1999.

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Dingler, however, might be a better athlete. He spent a good chunk of his freshman season at Ohio State in center field and moves well for his 6-foot-3, 210-pound frame. He ran the 60-yard dash in under 6.6 seconds during the Buckeyes’ scout day last fall.

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One throw from behind the plate, however, shows the skills that made him a coveted backstop. MLB Pipeline compares him to Oakland A’s youngster Sean Murphy, who also starred in college in Ohio at Wright State. Dingler also provides leadership, having captained the Buckeyes the past two seasons.

Since his season ended early due to the coronavirus pandemic, Dingler said he has been working on his pitch framing.

“There are so many new metrics, so many new techniques that are being taught, so much video that’s available that guys are teaching, that I do feel like I’m a student,” he said. “I do feel like I’m a kid again, learning these new techniques. I know in the past two months, I’ve been dabbling with different setups, different framing techniques, just trying to gain an advantage.”

What sent Dingler up Draft boards was his improvement in his offensive game. After batting .244 as a freshman, he batted .291 with three homers and 19 RBIs as a sophomore, reaching base safely in 32 consecutive games. He was off to a stronger start this spring, homering five times and hitting 10-for-21 in his last five games.

“I’ve made tremendous strides from my freshman year,” Dingler said. “One of my main focuses was being on time and trying to replicate the same swing over and over again just to have a starting point.”

The Tigers could greatly benefit from that offense. They have no shortage of strong defensive catchers in their system, from Grayson Greiner in the big leagues to Jake Rogers on the way and Cooper Johnson drafted last year. But Detroit hasn’t had a standout offensive catcher since Alex Avila was an All-Star in 2011.

Here is a roundup of Detroit’s other picks on Day 2.

Competitive Balance Round B, 62nd overall: Daniel Cabrera, OF, LSU

Tigers general manager Al Avila was an assistant coach under Paul Mainieri at St. Thomas University in Florida more than 30 years ago, a relationship Avila has maintained over the years to find undervalued talent at Mainieri’s current program at LSU. Cabrera fits that profile perfectly.

Equipped with a smooth left-handed swing, Cabrera has the ability to hit for average and power and can use all fields. Primarily a left fielder at LSU, he has the arm strength to handle right field as well, according to scouts. He ranked 38th on MLB Pipeline’s Draft list.

3rd round, 73rd overall: Trei Cruz, SS, Rice

Cruz has baseball in his blood, the son of former Major League outfielder Jose Cruz Jr., and the grandson of former Astros All-Star Jose Cruz. But Trei also has his own unique game as a switch-hitting middle infielder with a strong bat for contact. His .328 average ranked second on the Owls when their season ended, while he ranked among the Conference USA leaders in walks. He’s projected to fit in the pros at second base, where the Tigers have another son of a former Major Leaguer in their system: Kody Clemens.

4th round, 102nd overall: Gage Workman, 3B, Arizona State

There’s a reason why Torkelson was a first baseman at Arizona State and not at third. That reason was Workman, who is ranked 73rd on MLB Pipeline’s Draft list. He’s more athletic than his 6-foot-4, 195-pound frame would suggest, enough to play shortstop in the Cape Cod League last summer. While he has some pop in his switch-hitting bat, including a two-homer game against Fresno State in the Sun Devils’ final game this spring, his defensive skills and athleticism are viewed as his strengths.