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2012 Pirates Draft Prospects Rundown: 3/12

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When looking at draft prospects you want to find a balance between potential and current results. It’s always nice to see players with talent putting up strong numbers. However, you’re drafting for future performances, and not the results a player put up in his junior year in college.

The Pirates pick eighth overall, and I’ve talked a bit in the past about how there aren’t really many exciting choices at the eighth spot. That could change throughout the season. A lot of that could change just by seeing players in the six through ten spots having good seasons.

Take Kevin Gausman, for example. He throws 92-96 MPH, and could add velocity due to his projectable frame. He has the potential for three plus pitches and he’s draft eligible as a college sophomore. He has the potential to be a top of the rotation starter one day. But what separates him from Chris Beck, who is ranked close to Gausman in most of the early season rankings? Beck also has the potential for three plus pitches, throws 91-94, and touches 96.

One thing that is separating them is their performance this year. Beck has struggled, with a 4.33 ERA, along with an 8.7 K/9, a 4.3 BB/9, and a 1.3 HR/9 ratio. Meanwhile, Gausman has dominated, with a 1.32 ERA, plus a 10.2 K/9, a 15.5 K/BB ratio, and no homers in 27.1 innings pitched.

It could be a situation where we’re just spoiled. One of the few benefits of the Pirates being so bad over the last few years is that it has afforded the team the opportunity to draft Jameson Taillon and Gerrit Cole. These are guys who rank as two of the top pitching prospects in the game. No prospect is guaranteed, but you’d feel better about calling Taillon and Cole future aces than you would Beck and Gausman.

There’s a lot of teams who would probably place a guy like Gausman at the top of their pitching ranks. For the Pirates he would easily be third or fourth best, depending on how you feel about Luis Heredia’s risk/upside scale.

Perhaps that should change our perspective on the draft. Gausman is a good prospect. Beck is a good prospect. But we’re used to getting guys who are ranked in the top three, and who are good bets to end up as top of the rotation starters, which makes those good pitching prospects look a little less desirable.

STATS

Mark Appel 9.0 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 14 K, 0 HR, ND (2-1)

Chris Beck 8.0 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 8 K, 1 HR, L (2-2)

Kevin Gausman 8.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 11 K, 0 HR, W (4-0)

Deven Marrero 3-for-14 (.214), 1 R, 1 2B, 2 SB, 1 K, 0 BB

Mike Zunino 7-for-18 (.389), 5 R, 1 2B, 4 HR, 11 RBI, 5 K, 0 BB

Trey Williams – No Games

NOTES

-Deven Marrero missed the mid-week game for Arizona State, but returned from an ankle injury for the weekend schedule.

-Trey Williams was off this last week.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE

-Mike Zunino and Florida play two games this week on Tuesday and Wednesday.

-Deven Marrero and Arizona State play a two game series this week on Tuesday and Wednesday.

-Trey Williams and Valencia high school resume their schedule on Wednesday.

Tim Williams
Tim Williams
Tim is the owner, producer, editor, and lead writer of PiratesProspects.com. He has been running Pirates Prospects since 2009, becoming the first new media reporter and outlet covering the Pirates at the MLB level in 2011 and 2012. His work can also be found in Baseball America, where he has been a contributor since 2014 and the Pirates' correspondent since 2019.

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