The Detroit Tigers’ latest first-round draft pick made his professional debut Tuesday night.
Cameron Flukey, a 6-foot-6 right-hander selected by the Tigers with the 22nd overall pick in the July draft, threw 1.1 scoreless innings for the Single-A Lakeland Flying Tigers.
Flukey, 21, struck out two, walked two and hit a batter during his brief start in Lakeland against Bradenton at Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium. He didn’t allow a hit.
Flukey hit the first batter he faced as a professional, then he walked his second batter. But he got out of the inning on a flyout and a strikeout, his first as a pro. The strikeout, on an 83-mph slider, was on the front end of a strike-’em-out-throw-’em-out double play.
Then, in the second inning, Flukey struck out the first batter on an 83-mph slider in the dirt, and then he walked the second. That was the end of his night for Flukey He threw 32 pitches, just 14 for strikes. His fastball touched 95 mph.
The game was expected to be relatively short for Flukey, who had a limited season with Coastal Carolina this college season. He missed the first two-plus months of the college season with a rib injury, before returning to help lead his team to the College World Series. Flukey pitched in seven games for Coastal Carolina in 2026, spanning 24 innings. During his three-year college career, he struck out 232 in 180.2 innings.
Flukey was the No. 15 prospect in the 2026 Major League Baseball Draft, according to MLB.com. The Tigers signed him to a $3.8-million bonus, just under the pick’s slot value of $4.22 million.
He is the No. 5 Tigers prospect, according to the latest rankings from ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel.
tpaul@detroitnews.com
@tonypaul1984
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Tigers’ first-round draft pick makes pro debut. Here’s how he fared
Reporting by Tony Paul, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Tony Paul, The Detroit News | USA TODAY Network
