​With the No. 69 overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft, selected during one of the competitive balance rounds, the Detroit Tigers added another college pitcher to their ranks by drafting right-hander Evan Dempsey from Florida Gulf Coast University. Earlier in the draft, Detroit used the No. 22 overall pick to grab Coastal Carolina right-hander Cameron Flukey, giving the Tigers two college pitching arms among the first three selections. Their third choice came at No. 61, where they picked Kansas shortstop Tyson LeBlanc.
Dempsey, a Tampa native standing 6 feet 2 inches tall and weighing 205 pounds, was a part-time contributor as a freshman in 2024 before emerging as a key pitcher for FGCU over the subsequent two seasons. He is also regarded as a potential two-way player, though most teams project him as a pitcher at the next level.
Over three seasons at FGCU, Dempsey has posted a 2.88 ERA with 207 strikeouts in 162 2/3 innings. He relies on a lively combination of velocity and breaking stuff, featuring a fastball that sits around 92-94 mph and can reach up to about 95 mph, complemented by two breaking pitches. In addition to his pitching, Dempsey is capable with the bat, owning a .326 career batting average across more than 600 at-bats from the left side of the plate.
What Detroit plans to do with Dempsey remains open-ended and far from finalized. He represents an intriguing addition to the Tigers’ farm system, offering upside as a potential two-way contributor while adding depth to a pitching pipeline that the club is keen to develop for the long term. Dempsey’s track record suggests he could develop into a versatile asset, but his future at the major-league level will depend on how his pitching repertoire translates at higher levels and whether his hitting can be leveraged alongside his primary role on the mound.
Andrew Graham is a freelance writer.
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Tigers take intriguing two-way college player with No. 69 pick for better SEO.