Detroit, MI

Tigers select pitcher Ethan Schiefelbein with the 72nd pick in 2024 MLB Draft

Published

2 years ago

July 15, 2024

Tigers select pitcher Ethan Schiefelbein with the 72nd pick in 2024 MLB Draft

With the 72nd pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, the Detroit Tigers have selected pitcher Ethan Schiefelbein.

With an unusual amount of current polish for a high schooler, Schiefelbein isn’t what you might expect from an early round prep pitcher. He’s a lefty from Corona High School in California, a not insignificant baseball school on the prep scene, and has a college commitment to play at UCLA. His reputation is built on the fact that he has a remarkably smooth pitching motion for someone so young, advanced control, and a track record of good performance on the showcase circuit.

With a portfolio that’s meant to be greater than the sum of its parts, none of Schiefelbein’s individual traits stand out on their own. His fastball sits in the 89-92 mile per hour range with the ability to reach 95 on occasion. There isn’t the expectation that he will become a pinpoint wizard, but he exhibits a better understanding of how to get strikes with his low-powered heater than most his age and the Tigers will expect to build him up to that top line velocity consistently in time.

All the public draft boards give roughly average grades to his other pitches, with the expectation that he’ll be able to work them into a consistent game plan even if they never overpower the opposition. Baseball America and FanGraphs give his knuckle-curve an above average projection, betting on its ability to pair with the fastball. MLB Pipeline has a preference for his slider instead. Either way, the idea is that he’ll build up to using his out pitch by keeping away from hitter’s barrels rather than blowing them away with eye-popping stuff.

You’ve seen this style of pitcher before. Not to demean what he does well, but he’s cut from the same cloth as a hundred guys who have been given the “crafty lefty” label. The edge he has over others in a similar vein is that, given his youth and the Tigers’ ability to help pitchers perfect their fastball, Schiefelbein may be able to tap into the higher end of his velocity band more consistently. If that happens, and he doesn’t sacrifice his ability to spot the pitch in the process, he may come out the other side with more of a mid-rotation look.

In their pre-draft analysis of Schiefelbein, Baseball America noted that some teams would have liked to see him get to UCLA and reevaluate his progress in a couple years. There’s no questioning his feel to pitch, but everything depends on his projection from here. That is a risky proposition, even if he has the know-how and some notable peripheral fastball metrics.

This isn’t the most exciting pick, but the Tigers know pitching. They clearly think they can make Schiefelbein pop, and my interest is piqued to see how they do it.

Detroit has now selected three consecutive high schoolers to start their 2024 draft class. While most of the conversation will naturally focus on what will happen with Bryce Rainer, their first round pick, it’s worth commenting that, on a broader level, Scott Harris and his team are positioning themselves among the boldest drafters out there. No team drafts players within the top ten rounds unless they have a measure of confidence a deal can be reached. Mark Conner, one of Harris’ top lieutenants, had a hand in San Diego’s similar draft strategy in the late 2010s.

They generally made it work, just as the Tigers did last year despite a couple of prep players deciding to go to college instead. Prioritizing the most talented players in the first few rounds and locking them down is a costly business, but when teams draft this way, they worry about making the money work for the middle and late rounds after the draft. Nevertheless, it’s tough to see how Detroit is gonna seal the deal without effectively burning a few picks to save money along the way. That’s a defensible tradeoff they seem very willing to make.

Follow along with our Day 2 coverage here at Bless You Boys, as the draft starts back up again at 2:00 p.m. ET with the first pick of round three.

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Detroit, MI

Former Piston shows Detroit what they’re missing as he dominates next to LeBron

Published

9 hours ago

April 19, 2026

Press Room

Former Piston shows Detroit what they’re missing as he dominates next to LeBron

The Pistons have made recent moves to add more shooting, but still don’t have anyone quite as lethal as former Detroit guard Luke Kennard. On Saturday night, Kennard had a brilliant start to his postseason with 27 uber-efficient points for the Lakers in a win against the Rockets. His level of 3-point accuracy is something the Pistons have desperately been seeking all season long to bolster their offense.

Luke Kennard’s shooting makes him a dangerous playoff performer

Kennard was originally drafted to Detroit with the 17th pick of the 2017 Draft. The Pistons have plenty of draft regrets from that general era of team history, but picking Kennard has never been one of them. Despite any other weaknesses he may have, his strength as a shooter has always been enough to offset them.

In terms of pure 3-point percentage, Kennard is one of the best shooters in NBA history. He averages 44% behind the arc for his career, and shot a blistering 48% this season – the best mark in the league. Given his incredible track record, it’s not exactly a shocker to see him shoot 5-of-5 from three en route to 27 points in Game 1.

Not only is Kennard obviously an excellent standstill shooter, but he’s also a master of getting himself open with his movement. On Saturday night, he was able to play off LeBron James perfectly for a few easy looks. After that, he caught enough of a rhythm to create 3-point looks for himself, even in transition.

A player like Kennard is easily capable of turning an entire playoff game when he gets hot. In a close series, that one game where Kennard hits several threes can be all the difference his team needs to advance. If the Lakers do manage to win this series, even without Luka Doncic or Austin Reaves, Kennard’s shooting will be a major reason why.

The Pistons could use someone like Kennard

Kennard would be a perfect marginal addition for the Pistons that only makes them better without taking anything away from the team. To be fair, the Pistons do have two shooters who have been hot recently in Duncan Robinson and Kevin Huerter. But having more than one respected shooter on the court at a time is often necessary to maintain a solid offense in today’s NBA.

Given the Pistons’ current lack of shooting, any additional shooters are welcome. And Kennard is understandably one of the most feared shooters in the league, capable of bending defenses just by the threat of him taking a three. Rolling him out on the Pistons would surely open up more lanes for Detroit’s stars to attack the paint and score easier points.

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Detroit, MI

Troopers arrest Detroit woman after drive-by shooting on I-94

Published

21 hours ago

April 18, 2026

Press Room

Troopers arrest Detroit woman after drive-by shooting on I-94

A Detroit woman was arrested in the aftermath of a hit-and-run collision and shooting on Interstate 94, Michigan State Police reported.

Emergency dispatchers were called shortly after midnight Saturday about the altercation. Troopers reported the caller said while they were driving eastbound on I-94, near Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, a black Jeep sideswiped them and sped off.

The caller then decided to follow the Jeep.

In response, police said, the driver of the Jeep fired several gunshots in the caller’s direction.

None of the gunshots struck the vehicle.

Troopers were able to use license plate reader camera technology to locate the Jeep while it was on the Lodge Freeway, made a traffic stop. The driver and two passengers were taken into custody without incident.

The passengers were released shortly afterwards; troopers believe that the 19-year-old driver was the shooter. She has been lodged pending further review by the prosecutor’s office.

In addition, a firearm was recovered from the vehicle.

The above video originally aired on Aug. 19, 2025.

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Detroit, MI

Orlando Magic vs Detroit Pistons odds for NBA playoffs Game 1 Sunday

Published

1 day ago

April 18, 2026

Press Room

Orlando Magic vs Detroit Pistons odds for NBA playoffs Game 1 Sunday

Who is favored in the NBA playoffs odds for Game 1 between the Detroit Pistons and Orlando Magic?

Here’s what you need to know about NBA playoff betting odds for the NBA game between the No. 8 seed Magic and No. 1 seed Pistons, which is being played on Sunday, April 19, 2026.

What is the point spread for the Pistons vs Magic game?

What is the moneyline for the Magic vs Pistons game?

What is the over/under (point total) for betting on the first-round NBA playoff matchup?

Watch Magic at Pistons on Peacock

Magic vs Pistons odds: What is point spread?

According to BetMGM Sportsbook, the Detroit Pistons are an 8.5-point favorite over the Orlando Magic in Game 1 of their NBA Playoffs series.

Pistons vs Magic odds: What is moneyline?

BetMGM Sportsbook lists Detroit as -375 on the moneyline for the first-round NBA playoff game. It has Orlando at +290.

Magic vs Pistons odds: What is over/under?

The point total for the opening game of the NBA playoffs series between the Pistons and Magic is listed at 218.5 points, per BetMGM Sportsbook.

Reach Jeremy Cluff at jeremy.cluff@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff.

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