Dunedin, Florida – Now, that was more along the lines of what the Tigers – and Casey Mize – expected.
A pitcher expected for the past three years to chop down batters in the manner of a first-overall MLB draft pick more resembled his old profile Thursday night at TD Ballpark.
Mize struck out nine batters in four innings, unsheathing a murderous combination of four-seam fastballs (often 97, and topping out at 98), as well as a heavy sinker, and a cruel combination of cutters and split-finger pitches as he fought to win an 11th-hour spot in the Tigers rotation.