00:00Alright Tigers fans, let's talk about something you might have noticed, if you've been following
00:05closely from camp. If you walked into the Tigers Spring Training Clubhouse, the one that's been
00:10around since 2017, you'd see a long stretch of lockers, and historically that side of the room
00:15has had a very specific order to it. It usually runs from the manager's office over to the entrance
00:20of the food room, and it's traditionally reserved for starting pitchers and the guys competing for
00:24those rotation spots. Now, with the recent additions to the team this offseason, that row of lockers has
00:30turned into something pretty special. From left to right, the nameplates currently read, Framber
00:36Valdez, Justin Verlander, Tarek Skubal, Casey Mize, Eam, Jake Miller, and Jack Flaherty. Wait a second
00:44Jake Miller. Yes, that Jake Miller, he's the Tigers' number 19 prospect, a left-handed pitcher who spent
00:51last year at AA Erie. And honestly, he was just as shocked to see his name between Mize and Flaherty
00:56as you probably are right now. In fact, when he found out, he said, and I quote, I thought I
01:02was
01:02getting pranked at first. He was so surprised that he immediately called his dad to tell him who his
01:07new locker neighbors were. So, how did a young pitcher coming off an injury-shortened season end
01:12up with a prime spot in the clubhouse? Well, there's a pretty simple explanation. When camp officially
01:17opened on Wednesday, Miller was actually across the room with the younger position players.
01:22But then, the Tigers signed veteran outfielder and first baseman Austin Slater to a minor league deal,
01:28with an invite to major league camp. They needed to find Slater a locker, and in a crowded clubhouse,
01:33the only open spot just happened to be between Mize and Flaherty. So, Miller got moved in. When the
01:39veteran starters walked in Thursday morning and saw their new locker mate, it actually took them back a
01:45bit. Tarek Skubal said, in my first big league camp, if I was put in that locker, I would be
01:50petrified. And Jack Flaherty could relate too. He mentioned that it reminded him of being a young
01:55player in St. Louis, surrounded by guys like Adam Wainwright. But here's the thing about this team.
02:01Skubal, who's been busy welcoming stars like Valdez and Verlander, was very clear about his
02:07responsibility. He said, I think it's up to us to make him feel comfortable. He even joked about
02:15asking Miller if he needs a water or a banana, just to break the ice. Skubal emphasized how
02:21important it is to make the young guys feel confident so that when their time comes, they
02:25can contribute in a positive way. And honestly, Skubal and Miller have a lot more in common than just being
02:30left-handed. Both were day two, draft picks from mid-major colleges. Skubal, as you know, was a
02:37ninth-round pick from Seattle University in 2018. Miller was an eighth-rounder out of Valparaiso
02:43University in 2022. Neither was highly recruited out of high school. In fact, Miller didn't pitch at all.
02:50As a freshman at Valpo, the following year he struggled, walking 11 batters with just 10 strikeouts
02:56in only 10 and two-thirds innings. He was actually worried he might get cut. But the head coach,
03:01Brian Schmack, who you might remember as a relief pitcher for the Tigers back in 2003, stuck with
03:06him. That support, plus a summer in the prospect league, set Miller up for a strong 2022 that put
03:12him on the draft board. Miller was having a breakout year in the Tigers' system in 2024, before back and
03:19hip issues limited him to just six outings last season between Erie and Single-A Lakeland. He
03:24underwent labral repair surgery on both hips last fall, but despite those injuries, the Tigers believed
03:30in his potential so much that they added him to the 40-man roster this past offseason to protect him
03:36from the Rule 5 draft, which automatically earned him a spot in big league camp this spring. Now,
03:41he won't be pitching this spring as he rehabs, but he'll be learning. Miller said last month,
03:47I'm kind of playing with house money. You get to be around all these guys and just observe. I think
03:51there's so much value in observing what they do. And, when asked if he's worked up the courage to
03:56chat with his new neighbors yet, he smiled and said, I'm getting there. So, Tigers fans, here's my
04:03question to you. When you see a young guy like Jake Miller getting that kind of locker assignment,
04:07even if it was by accident, does it make you excited about the future depth of this pitching staff?
04:12And who is the one young player you're keeping an eye on this spring, hoping they soak up every bit
04:17of knowledge from this veteran rotation? Let me know what you think.
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