DETROIT, MI - AUGUST 19: Detroit Tigers Assistant General Manager Al Avila watches the game between the Detroit Tigers and the Baltimore Orioles at Comerica Park on August 19, 2012 in Detroit, Michigan. The Orioles defeated the Tigers 7-5. (Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images)
The University of Mississippi State has been a pipeline of talent to the major leagues for a long time, a tradition that could continue with shortstop Jordan Westburg.
In the MLB draft, relationships matter. Coaches and players are more likely to play nice with organizations they’ve had dealings with in the past. That line of resining may not lead one to choose the Tigers as a natural landing spot for Jordan Westburg – in the past decade, the Detroit Tigers have drafted a player from Mississippi State only four times.