Drafted in the 1st round (6th overall) by the Detroit Tigers in 2006 (signed for $3,550,000).
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Miller entered this spring as the top-rated prospect for the 2006 draft and proceeded to live up to that lofty billing. The top unsigned player from the 2003 draft, when he was a third-round pick of the Devil Rays out of high school in Gainesville, Fla., Miller wound up at North Carolina and has improved every season, becoming more consistent and more dominant. He dominated in the wood-bat Cape Cod League each of the last two summers (2.03 ERA in 2004, 1.65 ERA in 2005 for Chatham) and was rated as the league's top prospect by Baseball America in both years. He put it all together this spring, leading the Tar Heels to the top of the national rankings by winning his first 10 decisions, including triumphs over nationally ranked opponents in the Atlantic Coast Conference. He did not allow an earned run in seven of his first 13 starts and surrendered just four extra-base hits, and he didn't lose his first game until May 12. He had 290 strikeouts in 270 career innings, setting the North Carolina career record with at least two starts remaining. At 6-foot-7 and 210 pounds, Miller has an ideal frame with a clean delivery and easy arm action. His fastball registers consistently in the 93-95 mph range and can touch the upper 90s. Miller also has a major league offering with a mid-80s slider with a sharp bite. He can miss his spots at times and tends to be a bit wild in the strike zone, yet such criticism is nothing more than nitpicking. A more legitimate concern for scouts is that Miller's long, lanky body may lack the strength to allow him to be a workhorse starter or to maintain his stuff deep into starts. Similar issues affect his mechanics and could raise injury concerns as well. Still, the consensus has Miller joining a rotation at the major league level as soon as 2007.
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The 2006 draft's consensus top talent and Baseball America's College Player of the Year, Miller slid to Detroit at No. 6 because of signability. By early August, the sides agreed on a major league contract with a $3.55 million bonus and $5.45 million guarantee. After five innings at high Class A Lakeland, Miller made his big league debut at Yankee Stadium later that month. His season included two other thrills: his North Carolina team went to the College World Series finals, and he was on the mound in Kansas City when the Tigers clinched their first postseason berth in 19 years. Few lefthanders can match Miller's combination of size and stuff, and he projects as a frontline starter. He throws 93-95 with little effort and tops out at 98. His mid-80s slider already qualifies as a major league out pitch. He has dominated against wood bats, earning top-prospect honors in the Cape Cod League in both 2004 and 2005. Miller doesn't have much of a changeup and may need one against big league righthanders. He has preferred to dial his two-seam fastball down to the low to mid-80s. His command faded at times during his stint with the Tigers. Most scouts' concerns about him center on his arm action, as he has a slight wrap in the back of his delivery that hampers his command. Though he pitched in relief for the Tigers, Miller's future clearly is in the rotation. He'll head to Double-A as a starter and could be back in Detroit by the end of the season.
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Rated Best Slider in the Detroit Tigers in 2007
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