Baseball America posted their first mock draft this week and I wanted to take a look at each player on the list. There is a catch to the list in that the draft only goes up until the tenth pick and the Pittsburgh Pirates pick 12th overall. As of right now, we are still 86 days away from the first day of the draft so a lot can change. I’ll say right now, that everyone on this list is still an option for that 12th overall pick, though I’ll put an asterisks next to a few names. This list was put together by John Manuel.
We start at the top of the list with Manuel’s top pick, Hunter Greene, who is a name I don’t expect to mention many times here. For him to drop to the Pirates (here’s the asterisk), it would probably mean that Greene got hurt and it wasn’t a minor injury. The right-handed pitcher out of high school in California can hit triple digits with solid control and his curveball is above average as well. He’s athletic, with an easy delivery and a solid 6’3″ frame to add muscle. He’s only still an option due to time between now and the draft, but like I said, I don’t think you will hear his name from me too many times.
Next up in the second spot is Louisville’s Brendan McKay, who gets the second asterisk. He gets it because some people now consider him the top college hitter in the draft and he may actually be a better pitcher. That’s the opinion of many scouts, although there is a split. Either way, teams regard him highly for one of his talents and you have the other one as a fallback option. Read more on McKay in our article about him last week.
Third overall for Manuel is Royce Lewis, who is the third and final player with an asterisk. He’s a toolsy high school shortstop, who is also young for the draft class. The only question with him seems to be whether he will outgrow shortstop, but he’s so athletic that he could provide strong defense in center field if that happens. I expect him to stay at the top of this draft class.
J.B. Bukauskas is fourth for Manuel and he’s another player we have covered already. The North Carolina starter is dominating early on and his improved changeup gives him a third weapon behind a high-90s fastball and a plus slider. He’sa right-handed pitcher and doesn’t have a big frame, so that could bring up some durability questions for teams. More on Bukauskas here.
Fifth is a high school outfielder from North Carolina named Austin Beck. He is a possibility for the Pirates due to his raw plus power, overall defense and speed. He didn’t rank high early on, but that’s because there were questions about him returning from a torn ACL and meniscus from last year. He has answered those health questions, but scouts also have some doubts about his ability with wood bats since he has very little experience in that area. Right now he sounds like someone who has a big range of where he could fall in the first round.
The sixth spot for Manuel is very intriguing. He has Vanderbilt’s Jeren Kendall dropping because of his swing-and-miss issues. We are going to take a closer look at Kendall next week, but I’ll include a spoiler that he is a plus runner with above average defense in center field and raw power at the plate. Early rankings had him second overall in this draft class and one had him ahead of Greene. I didn’t expect Kendall to drop to the Pirates, but then again, I didn’t expect to see him down at sixth so soon. He would be a tough player to pass up with all of those tools.
Florida’s Alex Faedo and Vanderbilt’s Kyle Wright rank seventh and eighth for Manuel now and both were covered together here three weeks ago. Check out the link for info and videos showing why both of these college starters rank so high and could be solid options for the Pirates if they are still around.
Next is DL Hall, a high school southpaw from Georgia in the ninth spot. At 6’0″, 190 pounds, he doesn’t have the big frame that the Pirates look for in a pitcher, so this is a tough one to see. He’s similar to Bukauskas in that regard, though Bukauskas has a very strong track record of success and a better arsenal. Hall has a fastball/curve combo, with both pitches ranking as a 60 on the 20-80 scout scale. He has a changeup that needs work and his control is considered average. I think that the Pirates would probably go for higher upside with the 12th pick, even if the player isn’t currently rated as high as Hall.
In the final spot we have Keston Hiura, who is another tough one to see for the Pirates. He is a big-time hitter, who has an elbow injury that limits him to designated hitter this year. Manuel presumes he needs surgery and then a team will decide where he fits defensively once he returns. Second base is an outside possibility, with corner outfield more likely. I’ll note that MLB Pipeline was much lower on him in the preseason ranking, putting him 37th overall. Hiura is a solid hitter for average and some extra-base power, but he doesn’t have over-the-fence power now. He’s another one where I see the Pirates going for more upside, or at least a similar hitter at a premium position.
