Lakeland, Fla. — After last summer’s audition at the Cape Cod League, that tall-cotton college baseball stage where he played for the Brewster Whitecaps, there were thoughts Nick Dumesnil might be first-round draft material in 2025.

Blindside sack.

Dumesnil went in the eighth round in July’s MLB Draft.

To the Detroit Tigers.

Privately, as well as publicly, his new team is of the thought this might be an outfielder closer to those early-round projections that formed 12 months ago after Dumesnil, in 36 games against elite college pitching, batted .311/.377/.489/.866, with four home runs.

He signed with the Tigers in July for $214,300 (just a stitch beneath the MLB-recommended slot value of $216,800), and is now working in center field for the low-A Lakeland Flying Tigers, where after a

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