Bradenton, Fla. — Casey Mize has five above average to elite pitches. That's why the Tigers took him with the first overall pick in the draft in 2018. That's why he's been on top of the club's prospects list since he signed. That's why he has a chance to be a pillar of the Tigers' rotation for years to come.
He can throw a four-seam fastball (mid-90s) and curveball out of the same tunnel toward the plate. He throws his most wicked pitches, his two-seam fastball, slider and splitter out of a different tunnel.
You'd think, with that much variety at his disposal, no hitter in baseball could eliminate any one of his pitches, especially in a 3-2 count.