The Pittsburgh Pirates drafted LSU center fielder JaCoby Jones in the third round of the 2013 MLB draft. Jones was in the eighth tier of our top 100 rankings. He was rated 87th overall by Keith Law and 75th by Baseball America.
Jones hit for a .283/.382/.417 line in 187 at-bats this year, with five homers. He also stole 12 bases in 15 attempts. The results weren’t much better last year, with a .253/.308/.363 line in 245 at-bats and four homers. He did have a good season in 2011, with a .338/.395/.467 line in 195 at-bats and four homers.
Keith Law noted that Jones is the kind of player you take with a swing overhaul in mind. Perhaps that’s what the Pirates are planning here. Jones is 6′ 3″, 200 pounds and has a lot of speed and raw power. He’s also got good range and while the Pirates drafted him as a center fielder, most outlets list him at second base where he plays good defense. He could also be an option for third base. He’s going to be somewhat of a project trying to turn his bat around.
