Detroit Tigers: scouting NFL QB Patrick Mahomes

Patrick Mahomes, who was drafted out of High School by the Detroit Tigers, will be looking to deliver a Super Bowl for the Kansas City Chiefs.

Patrick Mahomes is a superstar in the NFL and probably the best player on the field for either team this Sunday. Mahomes could have taken a completely different path to professional sports as he was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the 37th round of the amateur draft back in 2014.

Mahomes made sense as a draft-and-follow type since he was going to play QB at Texas Tech. The Detroit Tigers could keep tabs on Mahomes in the event football didn’t work out.  Football clearly worked out pretty well but it was still a smart bet by the Tigers.

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Mahomes’ father of the same name played in the MLB for 11 seasons which can partly explain why he is so physically talented.  Mahomes was a legitimate athlete and could follow in the footsteps of Russell Wilson, Kyler Murray, Tom Brady, and other QBs that could have gone the MLB route.  Mahomes even appeared in the Little League World Series with Texas.

Fast forward years after that and Mahomes was a legitimate MLB draft prospect.  Checkout Baseball America’s write-up of Mahomes.  Don’t let the 37th round fool you, with Mahomes’ size and tools he could have been a top 15 round talent if he hadn’t been a lock to play football.

"“Mahomes’ father of the same name spent parts of 11 seasons in the major leagues and was still pitching in independent ball until 2009. His son has a bigger, more physical frame at a listed 6-foot-2, 214 pounds and has shown a low-90s fastball on the mound while also showcasing excellent arm strength when he plays right field. Some evaluators like him better as a hitter who is an average runner with plus raw power from a raw offensive approach. Mahomes appears to prefer football, however, with good reason. He’s a quarterback committed to Texas Tech.”"

Instead of throwing touchdowns to receivers and scrambling around the pocket, Patrick Mahomes could have been patrolling RF or pitching for an MLB team.  Plus Raw power, average speed, and above-average arms strength is a classic RF profile.  Its a shame we’ll never get to know what Pat Mahomes could have been on the baseball field.  Given his tools and makeup, he very likely could have been a star at the MLB level too.