When the Detroit Tigers selected Casey Mize with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 draft, they undoubtedly believed they were getting a future ace.
After all, what he did during his amateur career was special, with him dominating the high school ranks before having a great career at Auburn. However, that hasn’t necessarily translated to the professional game, and it’s safe to say many might view Mize as a disappointment compared to the high expectations he had coming in.
It’s not an extensive postseason history for Mize considering Detroit didn’t throw him last year, but the lone October start he had was promising. While manager A.J. Hinch had a quick hook in Game 2 of the Wild Card series, the righty finished with three innings of one-hit and one-run ball.
The good news is Mize has had success against the Mariners this year. But the bad news is he’s also struggled. He actually faced Seattle on the road for his first start of the season back on April 1, and he went 5 2/3 innings where he gave up no runs and just one hit with six strikeouts and three walks.
That outing got the right-hander off to a great start, and he carried a sub-3.00 ERA into the month of July that made it seem like the Tigers were finally getting the guy they envisioned back when they took him first overall.
But Mize’s second start against the Mariners on July 12 was his worst of the year, as he was shelled for six runs on six hits in three innings pitched at Comerica Park. He still struck out four batters, but he walked one and hit another with a pitch.
Mize will have to flip the script in this third matchup against Seattle. His team is relying on him to come through and deliver an excellent outing with their season on the line. So while he hasn’t quite lived up to the billing he was given entering his career, keeping Detroit in this contest while he’s on the mound could change that perception.
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