Top 20 Prospects: Pittsburgh Pirates
1. Gerrit Cole, RHP, A
Cole is a potential ace with electric stuff. He was one of the best pitchers in the country at UCLA and should be in the big leagues late next year.
2. Jameson Taillon, RHP, A-
Taillon is a potential frontline starter with power stuff and a very imposing physical presence. His stats haven't been ace level, but he is developing nicely and should form an excellent tandem with Cole at the top.
3. Alen Hanson, SS, B+
Hanson is in the midst of a very strong breakout campaign. He does everything well at the plate, but needs to improve his defense.
4. Luis Heredia, RHP, B+
Heredia is yet another arm in this system with frontline starter potential. He's very projectable and could have a ceiling that rivals the two power arms at the top.
5. Josh Bell, OF, B+
Bell has a high strikeout rate to start his professional career. I was not as high on him as some going into last year’s draft, but his offensive ceiling is the highest in the system.
6. Gregory Polanco, OF, B
Polanco has always had very good tools, especially his speed, which has always played. This year he is starting to put things together at the plate, hitting for both a good average and power, making for a very intriguing set of tools and now present skills.
7. Nick Kingham, RHP, B-
His on the surface statistics have not been great this year, but his components look good and he has solid stuff. He could be a good number 2 or 3 starter going forward.
8. Clay Holmes, RHP, B-
Holmes signed for a well above slot bonus out of the 9th round in 2011 and he has fared very well in the New York-Penn League thus far. Although he has not shown great strikeout numbers yet, he could be a number 2 starter at the big league level.
9. Tyler Glasnow, RHP, B-
Like Holmes, Glasnow was paid a well above slot bonus in the 2011 draft out of the fifth round. Glasnow is very projectable and raw at this stage, but could also be a number 2 starter if everything works out.
10. Justin Wilson, LHP, B-
Wilson will always walk a large number of batters which will keep him from being a frontline starter, but will also strike out his fair share and could be a good number 3 starter at best. He's not far away from the Majors.
11. Barrett Barnes, OF, B-
Barnes can do a little of everything at the plate, but will be limited to left field where the bat will have to play up.
12. Alex Dickerson, 1B, C+
A 3rd round pick in 2011, Dickerson had supplemental round talent. He will always hit, but the bat will definitely have to play up to be a starting first baseman at the next level.
13. Wyatt Mathisen, C, C+
Mathisen is a solid athlete with power potential and the tools to stick behind the plate. Like all high school catchers, he's a long way away.
14. Zack Von Rosenberg, RHP, C+
Has had a reputation in the scouting community for quite a while now, but thus far has not lived up to the hype. Could still be a mid rotation type.
15. Matt Curry, 1B, C+
A very good hitter with pop, but Curry is limited to first base, which will hamper his value.
16. Adalberto Santos, OF, C+
A graduate of baseball powerhouse Monroe HS in the Bronx, Santos is a little old at this point after going to Junior College and then Oregon State. He doesn't have the greatest build, which could limit him to a fourth outfielder role, but his bat and speed will play.
17. Kyle McPherson, RHP, C+
18. Tony Sanchez, C, C+
Sanchez was the 4th overall selection in the 2009 draft and was taken more for his signability than his talent. He still could be a solid backup catcher with the possibility for a little more.
19. Bryan Morris, RHP, C+
Could be a very good reliever at the big league level after struggling with injuries throughout his career.
20. Jose Osuna, 1B, C+
Solid hitter with some pop, but will need time to develop offensively if he is going to be limited to first base defensively.
Cole is a potential ace with electric stuff. He was one of the best pitchers in the country at UCLA and should be in the big leagues late next year.
2. Jameson Taillon, RHP, A-
Taillon is a potential frontline starter with power stuff and a very imposing physical presence. His stats haven't been ace level, but he is developing nicely and should form an excellent tandem with Cole at the top.
3. Alen Hanson, SS, B+
Hanson is in the midst of a very strong breakout campaign. He does everything well at the plate, but needs to improve his defense.
4. Luis Heredia, RHP, B+
Heredia is yet another arm in this system with frontline starter potential. He's very projectable and could have a ceiling that rivals the two power arms at the top.
5. Josh Bell, OF, B+
Bell has a high strikeout rate to start his professional career. I was not as high on him as some going into last year’s draft, but his offensive ceiling is the highest in the system.
6. Gregory Polanco, OF, B
Polanco has always had very good tools, especially his speed, which has always played. This year he is starting to put things together at the plate, hitting for both a good average and power, making for a very intriguing set of tools and now present skills.
7. Nick Kingham, RHP, B-
His on the surface statistics have not been great this year, but his components look good and he has solid stuff. He could be a good number 2 or 3 starter going forward.
8. Clay Holmes, RHP, B-
Holmes signed for a well above slot bonus out of the 9th round in 2011 and he has fared very well in the New York-Penn League thus far. Although he has not shown great strikeout numbers yet, he could be a number 2 starter at the big league level.
9. Tyler Glasnow, RHP, B-
Like Holmes, Glasnow was paid a well above slot bonus in the 2011 draft out of the fifth round. Glasnow is very projectable and raw at this stage, but could also be a number 2 starter if everything works out.
10. Justin Wilson, LHP, B-
Wilson will always walk a large number of batters which will keep him from being a frontline starter, but will also strike out his fair share and could be a good number 3 starter at best. He's not far away from the Majors.
11. Barrett Barnes, OF, B-
Barnes can do a little of everything at the plate, but will be limited to left field where the bat will have to play up.
12. Alex Dickerson, 1B, C+
A 3rd round pick in 2011, Dickerson had supplemental round talent. He will always hit, but the bat will definitely have to play up to be a starting first baseman at the next level.
13. Wyatt Mathisen, C, C+
Mathisen is a solid athlete with power potential and the tools to stick behind the plate. Like all high school catchers, he's a long way away.
14. Zack Von Rosenberg, RHP, C+
Has had a reputation in the scouting community for quite a while now, but thus far has not lived up to the hype. Could still be a mid rotation type.
15. Matt Curry, 1B, C+
A very good hitter with pop, but Curry is limited to first base, which will hamper his value.
16. Adalberto Santos, OF, C+
A graduate of baseball powerhouse Monroe HS in the Bronx, Santos is a little old at this point after going to Junior College and then Oregon State. He doesn't have the greatest build, which could limit him to a fourth outfielder role, but his bat and speed will play.
17. Kyle McPherson, RHP, C+
18. Tony Sanchez, C, C+
Sanchez was the 4th overall selection in the 2009 draft and was taken more for his signability than his talent. He still could be a solid backup catcher with the possibility for a little more.
19. Bryan Morris, RHP, C+
Could be a very good reliever at the big league level after struggling with injuries throughout his career.
20. Jose Osuna, 1B, C+
Solid hitter with some pop, but will need time to develop offensively if he is going to be limited to first base defensively.
2012 Draft Review: Pittsburgh Pirates
Overall Draft Grade: C+
The Pirates took a risk with Mark Appel at #8 and could end up with the #9 selection in the first round next year if he doesn't end up signing. Barrett Barnes and Brandon Thomas are two intriguing college bats and Mathisen and Sandfort are both long-term projects out of the high school ranks. While there's not a lot of potential impact talent outside of Appel, there's a good balance here between college and high school as well as between arms and bats.
1st Round (8): Mark Appel, RHP, Stanford University, 6'4", 195
Appel was rumored to go first overall and bonus demands dropped him down here to the Pirates at 8. It's still up in the air if he will sign, but Appel has the power stuff of a potential ace. His fastball runs up into the mid-90s and he complements it with a power slider that has the chance to miss bats and get strikeouts at the next level and a change-up with above-average potential. All of the tools are there, but signability makes this a risky selection at #8.
The Pirates took a risk with Mark Appel at #8 and could end up with the #9 selection in the first round next year if he doesn't end up signing. Barrett Barnes and Brandon Thomas are two intriguing college bats and Mathisen and Sandfort are both long-term projects out of the high school ranks. While there's not a lot of potential impact talent outside of Appel, there's a good balance here between college and high school as well as between arms and bats.
1st Round (8): Mark Appel, RHP, Stanford University, 6'4", 195
Appel was rumored to go first overall and bonus demands dropped him down here to the Pirates at 8. It's still up in the air if he will sign, but Appel has the power stuff of a potential ace. His fastball runs up into the mid-90s and he complements it with a power slider that has the chance to miss bats and get strikeouts at the next level and a change-up with above-average potential. All of the tools are there, but signability makes this a risky selection at #8.
Supplemental Round (45): Barrett Barnes, OF, Texas Tech University, 6'1", 195, R/R
Barnes has already signed with the Pirates and shows an interesting combination of power and speed. He hit well for the Red Raiders this year and shows both good raw power and the potential to steal some bases at the next level. He profiles as a left fielder, but the bat is interesting follow.
Barnes has already signed with the Pirates and shows an interesting combination of power and speed. He hit well for the Red Raiders this year and shows both good raw power and the potential to steal some bases at the next level. He profiles as a left fielder, but the bat is interesting follow.
2nd Round (69): Wyatt Mathisen, C, Calallen HS (TX), 6'1", 205, R/R
Mathisen hasn't actually played behind the plate too much for his high school team, but has still shown the defensive tools necessary to play there. He's a long way from the Majors as a backstop, but he's a solid athlete with a strong arm who has shown some power potential with the bat as well.
3rd Round (103): Jonathan Sandfort, RHP, Winter Springs HS (FL), 6'6". 205
Sandfort is a big, projectable righty who currently sits in the 88-91 range, but has touched as high as 94. He has plenty of room to add a bit more physically. His breaking stuff is behind the fastball, but he shows a downer curveball with some potential.
4th Round (136): Brandon Thomas, OF, Georgia Tech (JR), 6'3", 200, S/R
Thomas is an intriguing follow as a swtich-hitting outfielder with a very good power/speed combination. He's more of a gap-to-gap guy at this point, but he hit well this year at Georgia Tech and showed the ability to steal a base as well. Thomas profiles as more of a left fielder at the next level, but he could be a solid regular out there if he continues to improve with the bat.
Mathisen hasn't actually played behind the plate too much for his high school team, but has still shown the defensive tools necessary to play there. He's a long way from the Majors as a backstop, but he's a solid athlete with a strong arm who has shown some power potential with the bat as well.
3rd Round (103): Jonathan Sandfort, RHP, Winter Springs HS (FL), 6'6". 205
Sandfort is a big, projectable righty who currently sits in the 88-91 range, but has touched as high as 94. He has plenty of room to add a bit more physically. His breaking stuff is behind the fastball, but he shows a downer curveball with some potential.
4th Round (136): Brandon Thomas, OF, Georgia Tech (JR), 6'3", 200, S/R
Thomas is an intriguing follow as a swtich-hitting outfielder with a very good power/speed combination. He's more of a gap-to-gap guy at this point, but he hit well this year at Georgia Tech and showed the ability to steal a base as well. Thomas profiles as more of a left fielder at the next level, but he could be a solid regular out there if he continues to improve with the bat.
5th Round (166): Adrian Sampson, RHP, Bellevue CC (WA), 6'2". 200
Sampson is an interesting arm here who has put up fantastic numbers at the JUCO level. His fastball won't overpower too many hitters, but it sits comfortably in the 88-91 range. His curve is his best pitch and shows the potential to be an above-average pitch at the next level.
6th Round (196): Eric Wood, 3B, Blinn College (TX), 6'2", 195, R/R
7th Round (226): Jacob Stallings, C, North Carolina (SR), 6'5", 220, R/R
8th Round (256): Niles Road, SS, Niles West HS (IL), 6'1", R/R
9th Round (286): Douglas Crumlich, SS, University of California-Irvine (SR), 6'0", 190
10th Round (316): Pat Ludwig, RHP, Yale University (SR), 6'1", 185
Sampson is an interesting arm here who has put up fantastic numbers at the JUCO level. His fastball won't overpower too many hitters, but it sits comfortably in the 88-91 range. His curve is his best pitch and shows the potential to be an above-average pitch at the next level.
6th Round (196): Eric Wood, 3B, Blinn College (TX), 6'2", 195, R/R
7th Round (226): Jacob Stallings, C, North Carolina (SR), 6'5", 220, R/R
8th Round (256): Niles Road, SS, Niles West HS (IL), 6'1", R/R
9th Round (286): Douglas Crumlich, SS, University of California-Irvine (SR), 6'0", 190
10th Round (316): Pat Ludwig, RHP, Yale University (SR), 6'1", 185
Pirates Draft Strategy: An Overview
The Pirates don’t have a top 5 selection this year for the first time since they selected Andrew McCutchen in 2005 with the 11th overall pick, probably their best selection in the last 6 years. McCutchen and Jameson Taillon have been the only 2 high schoolers they have taken with their first pick since 2005, but they both look to have bright futures ahead of them. Since GM Neal Huntington’s first draft in 2008, the Pirates have increased the number of high school players taken in the top 17 rounds of their drafts, culminating last year when they selected 13 preps in the first 17 rounds. Even with $6.563 million to spread over their first 11 picks, they will probably have to dial back on the number of high schoolers taken in the middle rounds, unless they do not have very strong commitments and would be willing to sign for slot or below.
Also, even with the increased number of preps taken, it seems pretty clear that they want to go with a college guy with their first choice, and we have them selecting Marcus Stroman, a potential frontline starter from Duke, who should not be a tough sign. In the supplemental round, we have them taking Jose Orlando (JO) Berrios, continuing their trend to go for high school guys with their second pick, something they have done the last three years.
Mock Draft Selections: Marcus Stroman, RHP, Duke University, J.O. Berrios, RHP, Puerto Rico
Also, even with the increased number of preps taken, it seems pretty clear that they want to go with a college guy with their first choice, and we have them selecting Marcus Stroman, a potential frontline starter from Duke, who should not be a tough sign. In the supplemental round, we have them taking Jose Orlando (JO) Berrios, continuing their trend to go for high school guys with their second pick, something they have done the last three years.
Mock Draft Selections: Marcus Stroman, RHP, Duke University, J.O. Berrios, RHP, Puerto Rico
Coming Soon to the Pirates Team Page: Top 20 Prospects List
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