Casey Mize was the top pick in the 2018 draft but didn't hit his stride in the big leagues until 2025. Raymond Carlin III / Imagn ImagesAug. 3, 2026 Updated 6:19 pm EDTAnother Detroit Tigers starting pitcher is on the move, as the team on Monday agreed to trade Casey Mize to the San Diego Padres, a team source told The Athletic. The Padres also get Gage Workman, while the Tigers receive Kash Mayfield and Jackson Wolf.The No. 1 pick in the 2018 draft, Mize has traveled a long road to become one of the best pitchers available at the trade deadline. Mize debuted for the Tigers in the truncated 2020 season but spent the first several years of his career battling injuries and inconsistency.Mize had Tommy John surgery and a back procedure in 2022. He missed all of the 2023 season and returned in 2024 but often struggled to harness the command and swing-and-miss splitter that once made him a coveted prospect. Beginning in 2025, though, Mize finally found something closer to frontline form. He made the All-Star Game after a strong first half last year and finished with a 3.87 ERA.In 2026, Mize has pitched the best baseball of his career. His season has been interrupted by two separate IL stints with hamstring issues. Mize’s performance, though, hasn’t dropped off. For the bulk of this season, Mize has thrown his fastball, splitter and slurve combo better than ever.The splitter is still his signature, the pitch that elevates the rest of his arsenal when it’s dancing and diving below barrels. After years of struggling to put away hitters or induce whiff, Mize has the best strikeout figures of his career. A sharp and savvy right-hander, it’s possible the best years of Mize’s career are still ahead. For now, his new team needs him to continue pitching at a front-line level.This story will be updated.