As the world of baseball started to pay attention to the 2017 draft class last winter, Alex Faedo appeared to be a major contender for the top selection. If you had told any team outside the top 10 picks that they would have a chance at the precocious pitcher, they would be leaping for joy. When arthroscopic knee surgeries and a few issues with control eroded his stock, what once seemed a pipe dream became reality. Detroit selected the Florida Gators' ace with the 18th overall pick, scoring a great player at a good value.
Despite signing in early July, Faedo sat out for the rest of the season due to his heavy workload at Florida.