Kyle Funkhouser Stays In Command

DETROIT—Righthander Kyle Funkhouser struggled with his command and lost velocity on his fastball during his senior season at Louisville. But he seemed to get right back on track after the Tigers selected him in the fourth round of the 2016 draft.

Funkhouser went 0-2, 2.65 with a 1.13 WHIP in 13 starts at short-season Connecticut. The velocity on his fastball, which was in the 88-92 mph range during his senior season in college, was back where it was in the past.

“He had a good fastball,” farm director Dave Owen said. “It was up to 96 (mph). He pitched in the mid-90s.”

The Dodgers selected Funkhouser in the first round (35th overall) in 2015, but the talented young righthander returned to Louisville and hoped to improve his draft stock. Instead, a rough senior season led to him falling to the fourth round, where the Tigers signed him for $750,000, which was well above-slot for that draft position.

Funkhouser averaged more than a strikeout an inning as a senior at Louisville, but he also issued 47 walks in 93.1 innings. At Connecticut, he walked just eight in 37.1 innings.

“He showed really good fastball command,” Owen said after seeing Funkhouser in a late-season start. “We know that that’s going to be inconsistent right now at this stage of his career. He’s shown that he can command it, so you anticipate that will continue to get better.”

Funkhouser is 6-foot-2,  220 pounds. Owen liked the way the 22-year-old carries himself both on and off the field.

“He’s got a quiet confidence about him,” Owen said. “He just looks like he competes. He was just grinding it out and it was fun to watch. He was in there kind of mixing it up, and that says a lot since as a starter you’ve got to go through the lineup three or four times.”

TIGER TALES

• Lefthanded reliever Joe Mantiply made his big league debut on Sept. 3 after being a surprise September callup. He spent almost the entire season at Double-A Erie, where he recorded a 2.47 ERA in 51 innings with 62 strikeouts and 11 walks.

• Third baseman/outfielder JaCoby Jones hit just .214 in 28 at-bats after collecting two hits in each of his first two big league games. The Tigers called him up in late August.