#1 overall pick in 2018, to make first MLB start tonight in Chicago.
The Detroit Tigers future might get some clarity tonight when Casey Mize makes his first MLB start. The Tigers pitching staff have been close to, if not, the worst in the Majors with over a 7 ERA this season. With the 7 game losing streak still in tact, it is time to see what the future holds. I’m excited to see what Mize can do. In practice earlier this season he was able to strike out Miguel Cabrera in 3 straight pitches. Although, Miggy isn’t exactly the hitter he used to be, it’s still shows he has what it takes to go at batters.
I love Casey Mize’s mindset. He said, “The goal after I got drafted was to get to the big leagues as quickly as possible and stay here for a long time. With everything that happened this year, through all the craziness, there was a lot of opportunity that arose, and I felt like I could have helped out. But what else could I do other than work really hard and continue to perform well? That’s all I could do and that’s all I did. I knew my day would come.”
That’s what good athletes and successful people do. They don’t look down the road, they attack what is right in front of them then go and take care of the next day. Casey has all the skills to be the Tiger’s Ace for many years to come. With a fast ball that can hit 97 and an arsenal of 4 other quality pitches, he should be able to keep hitters off balance and control the count. With that being said, tonight he has to prove it. I think he will.
Who else is watching Casey Mize tonight?
A quick background on myself, I lost my father to cancer 3 years ago. My dad I were great friends and both loved sports. He was my baseball coach until high school and just my over all go to sports guy. One of my greatest memories was a Detroit Tigers vs Chicago Cubs game, when Ryan Raburn hit a walk-off at Comerica Park. I think that’s why I love this story so much.
According to Brad Galli’s twitter, Casey Mize’s wife, parents, brother and in-laws will all be in Chicago tonight for his first start.
On the surface that seems very normal. But then you realize there are no fans. They wont even be able to go into the stadium before the game. I love this story because Casey said he was just happy to have them in the city. I completely get it. I was never good enough to make it to that level. If i ever was, I would have wanted my dad near. I don’t care if he was just sitting outside the ballpark. Knowing your biggest fan is near by has to be comforting. I’m rooting for the Casey Mize and the Mize family tonight. I hope this is the start of a great Detroit Tigers run!