Lakeland, Fla. -- Finally, his performances can be tracked, game by game, rather than by developmental reports or by the occasional scout’s notepad.
Matt Manning will begin his formal 2017 Tigers competitive journey at 7:05 p.m. Monday when the Single A Connecticut Tigers play a home game against the Tri-City ValleyCats at Dodd Stadium, in Norwich, Conn.
Most who follow the Tigers will remember Manning from a year ago when he was scooped by the Tigers with the ninth overall pick in the 2016 big-league draft’s first round.
He was something of a surprise in that he was a prep right-hander, 6-foot-6, 190 pounds, perhaps known more for his basketball than as a potential rotation-heading professional baseball pitcher.