Casey Mize was the first overall pick in the 2018 MLB draft. The Detroit Tigers selected the Auburn right-hander with the No. 1 pick on June 4, 2018, making him the centerpiece of the organization’s pitching rebuild.
Detroit received the top selection after tying the San Francisco Giants for baseball’s worst 2017 record at 64–98; the Tigers won the tiebreaker. Mize had been one of college baseball’s premier pitchers at Auburn, and his splitter, fastball and competitive record made him the consensus choice at the top of the draft.
Mize signed with Detroit for a $7.5 million bonus and began his professional career later that season. He made his major-league debut in 2020 and became the first player from the 2018 draft class to reach MLB when Chicago promoted Nico Hoerner in 2019. The other choices were drafted in different years or at lower positions.