Casey Mize DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Casey Mize tossed 5 2/3 shutout innings en route to defeating the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday evening. Mize allowed just one hit and served up three free passes while striking out six. The lone hit was tallied by the first batter he saw, Victor Robles. This was a strong season debut for Mize, who was not guaranteed a spot in the rotation during camp. He had to win the role over veteran Kenta Maeda. In addition, Alex Cobb (hip) also opened the season on the injured list, which provided Mize with an opportunity. Last season, Mize logged 102 1/3 innings of work and held a modest 4.49 ERA with a 1.47 WHIP. The former first overall pick tallied just 78 punchouts but showed strong command with a 6.4 percent walk rate. Despite the strong outing, Mize is best left on your bench in his next start when he faces the New York Yankees.

Detroit Tigers right-hander Casey Mize appears set to open the season in the team's Opening Day starting rotation after the team optioned pitchers Keider Montero and Ryan Kreidler to the minors on Saturday morning, according to The Athletic's Cody Stavenhagen. Additionally, top pitching prospect Jackson Jobe will be in the rotation to begin the year. Veteran Kenta Maeda will start in the bullpen, while Alex Cobb (hip) is expected to miss at least the first month. Mize, 27, looked great this spring with a 1.13 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 18 strikeouts and seven walks in 16 Grapefruit League innings. The post-hype prospect was the first overall pick in the 2018 draft, but so far he's disappointed due to injuries and with a 4.36 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and 226:85 K:BB in 291 innings for Detroit. Mize is worth the low cost in AL-only leagues to see if he can finally put it all together.

The Detroit Tigers declined right-handed pitcher Casey Mize's 2025 club option, according to Cody Stavenhagen. However, the 27-year-old remains under team control and is eligible for arbitration. Mize posted a modest 4.49 ERA and 1.47 WHIP in his first full campaign post-Tommy John surgery in 2024. This was a decline compared to his 3.71 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP, which he held in the 2022 campaign, his other full season. Under the hood, the former first-overall pick generated ground balls at an elite 49.6% mark. However, he allowed hard contact at a poor 44.6% hard-hit rate and could not generate strikeouts at an underwhelming 17.3% K rate. Mize remains a low-end starter for deeper formats heading into the 2025 season.