The Detroit Tigers selected Nebraska second baseman Max Anderson with the 45th overall pick in the 2023 MLB draft on Sunday.
Anderson was Detroit’s third pick of the night, behind high school outfielder Max Clark at No. 3 overall and high school middle infielder Kevin McGonick at No. 37 in the competitive balance round.
The bat is the best part of Anderson’s game. In 2023, he led the Big Ten in hitting with a .410 average and a 1.224 on-base plus slugging percentage. There’s power there with 21 homers, but shedding the metal bat might hurt his numbers at the big-league level.