Scott Harris and the Detroit Tigers are sticking with the high school approach in the first round of the 2025 MLB draft.
The Detroit Tigers selected Sickles High School shortstop Jordan Yost with the 24th overall pick of the 2025 MLB draft .
A University of Florida commit, Yost was the 12th high school shortstop off the board through the first 24 picks. Other high school players with higher profiles, such as Kayson Cunningham (Arizona, No. 18), Xavier Neyens (Houston, No. 21) and outfielder Sean Gamble (Kansas City, No. 23) went in the immediate picks before Detroit’s selection.
With the 24th pick in the 2025 #MLBDraft , the Detroit Tigers select SS Jordan Yost. pic.twitter.com/rPhmnQg7b6
— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) July 14, 2025
Yost was a late bloomer on the high school circuit who put together a 42-hit season with Sickles en route to a Class 6A regional final appearance. For a second consecutive season, Yost hit .412 with an on-base percentage above .500 — .532 in 2024 and .548 this year.
His power ticked up this season as triples turned into homers, but the 6-foot, 170-pounder still has some growing to do. A lanky yet projectable frame gives Yost a shot to stick at shortstop.
Much like his brother, an outfielder for the Florida Gators, Yost reads the ball well off the bat, and he already has plenty of speed. Those are the necessary tools to play shortstop at the pro level, but the glove and arm have to develop a bit more.
MLB.com gives Yost a 55 hit tool, 40 power, 60 run, 50 arm and 50 field, rounding out to a 50 overall future value grade. In a perfect world, Bryce Rainer stays at shortstop and Kevin McGonigle eventually moves to second once both are at the same level, leaving some ambiguity around Yost’s place in the organization. He’s a more developmental piece than the other two mentioned, so this helps restock the farm in anticipation of a couple of quick promotions.
What we heard from the high school scene
When we said Yost is a late bloomer earlier, we might not have been clear on how fast of a riser this kid has been in the draft process. This writer works in the prep baseball scene in Florida and Yost was not thought of as a first-round talent for much of his career. We’ve had eyes on him since he was a sophomore at the state tournament, but nothing popped out at the time.
One nationally recognized coach in the area said that Yost was “good, but not first-round good” when he saw him earlier in the spring. That’s not to say Yost isn’t worth a first-round selection, but more to point out that he’s been rising up draft boards week by week rapidly.
The upside is a left-handed bat with good to great bat-to-ball skills and all the tools to stick at shortstop. Yost was recognized as the best senior baseball player in Hillsborough County via the local Saladino Award.
“In my years as a sports reporter, I can’t remember a faster rise for a player from a draft standpoint,” Jarrett Guthrie of 813Preps in Tampa said to Bless You Boys. “It couldn’t happen to a more deserving kid. As humble a superstar as we’ve ever had here in Hillsborough County.
“His skills on the field are incredible. A smooth-as-silk defender with a strong arm. His approach at the plate is among the best I’ve ever seen from a prep player. Never trying to do too much at the plate, takes what he’s offered and is patient. His older brother, Hayden, put on weight immediately when he got to UF, and I expect him to fill out similarly. This is a poised and thoughtful young man, with baseball IQ as high as I’ve ever seen.”
Everything points in the direction of Detroit believing they’ve found a gem in a deep pool of high school infielders, but he’ll have to prove the Tigers right on the field.
Like most draft picks, we’ll know if this was a good move in five years. Signing an underslot deal helps the immediate reaction, but let’s wait until the money plays out.