The MLB draft used to be so easy to cover for the Pirates. At the start of the season, you’d pick out a small group of guys — maybe two one year, maybe up to ten the next. You could then narrow it all down and say which guy looked the best, usually picking between guys with the highest upsides in the draft.
Of course, this was all easy because the Pirates were picking at the top of the draft. And they were picking high in the draft because they were a horrible team. Personally, I hope it never gets easy again, even if that means we have to write about over 100 different players throughout each year as possibilities for that first round pick.
The last two years we’ve learned that it’s pretty impossible to predict who the Pirates will take in the first round. Then again, that’s not much different from all of the years before the last two years. Every time you tried to dive into their draft trends, and say they favored one type of player, or avoided another type of player, they went against that trend. Before drafting Jameson Taillon, it was said they didn’t like prep pitchers in the first round. Before drafting Gerrit Cole, it was said they didn’t like college pitchers, and felt prep pitchers had less risk.
If you step back and look at the larger trends, the Pirates are still operating the same that they always have been. They seem to genuinely be taking the best available player on their board, even if that doesn’t line up with the rankings. That caused some outrage in 2014 when they took Cole Tucker, but it turned out that having Tucker ranked higher than some of the other prep position players that year was the right call.
They’ve been on a run where they’ve drafted hitters in the first round the last few years, with Austin Meadows/Reese McGuire in 2013, Cole Tucker/Connor Joe in 2014, and Kevin Newman/Ke’Bryan Hayes in 2015. But they’re not shying away from pitchers. Mitch Keller, Trey Supak, and Gage Hinsz were some of their highest paid players in 2014, and they went over-slot on pitchers in 2013 (Neil Kozikowski) and 2015 (Jacob Taylor).
The one key difference lately has been the type of hitter they have drafted. They’ve been going for guys who can hit for average, get on base, limit strikeouts, and while these guys don’t hit for home run power, they do have gap power and speed to get extra bases. They typically play a premium defensive position, or can be moved to a premium defensive position. I’ve been reporting on this for a few years now, and the interesting thing is that the approach is now carrying over to the majors, with the Pirates focusing on the same type of hitters.
There have been some story lines to follow for this draft, but we’re probably not going to get an idea on the day one picks until the moment the Pirates make their selections. However, to see what type of talent is available, check out our Top 100 Tiered Rankings from earlier today. And now, let’s take a look at the bigger stories heading into the draft.
The Pittsburgh Kids
If there’s one thing Pittsburgh fans love, it’s a local player. This draft has two of them who are sure to be first rounders. Unfortunately for the Pirates, and for Pirates fans, it seems unlikely that either player will drop to pick number 22.
Alex Kirilloff is a prep outfielder from Plum High School with plus raw power. He’s got the ability to play center field, although he has a plus arm and profiles better in right field in the long-term. The Pirates certainly don’t have a need for outfielders in the short-term or the long-term, but the draft isn’t really about need, and they shouldn’t pass on him if he falls to them. All of this is probably moot though, as he won’t be falling to them.
T.J. Zeuch seems to be the more likely of the two to fall to the Pirates. He’s a right-handed pitcher from Pitt, with a fastball that sits 92-94 MPH, with good downward movement from a 6′ 7″ frame. That already sounds like a Pirates pick. He throws a slider and a changeup, but needs to really improve his secondary stuff in the minors.
Kirilloff is a guy you’d take, Pittsburgh or no Pittsburgh, just because of the talent and upside. That’s also why he’s unlikely to be there at number 22. Zeuch would be good for that pick, but this is a case where being from Pittsburgh might elevate his appeal, as he doesn’t stand out from the other guys who are ranked around the number 22 pick. We had him in our third tier in our rankings, which is the group that makes sense for the 22nd pick. That group contains 15 players, and the Pirates will have their choice of at least 10 of those players.
It would be a nice story if the Pirates got another Pittsburgh kid, but the best guy might not fall to them, and the other guy shouldn’t be drafted based on his college team alone.
Drafting a Reliever?
One of the interesting notes that has made a few mock drafts is that the Pirates are one of the teams interested in Louisville right-handed pitcher Zack Burdi. The big appeal with Burdi is that he can hit triple digits with his fastball as a reliever, while sitting 97-99 MPH. He also has a plus changeup and a slider that can be plus at times. And there are some who have said he could pitch in the majors as a reliever this year.
The Pirates have never taken a relief pitcher in the first round, unless you count Vic Black, who was a compensation pick at number 49, back when the first round lasted forever. Black also profiled as a reliever, but was a starter in college at Dallas Baptist. So this is one of those cases where you’d say the Pirates would never make the move because they never have made the move, but the reality is that their past drafting has never really predicted the future.
Burdi is an interesting story, because there are two ways to look at it. The first way is to dream on how he could help the Pirates in the short-term and the long-term. That dream includes him arriving in the majors this year, helping to boost a bullpen that really needs a lot of help, and then returning to the minors next year and seeing if he can work out as a starter. Or, if he does work well as a reliever, then maybe he’s the replacement for Mark Melancon for the next six years. That wouldn’t be bad for a first round pick.
But then there’s the realistic way of looking at this. It is far from a guarantee that Burdi would be up this year. That has nothing to do with the idea that the Pirates wouldn’t promote him aggressively. It has everything to do with the fact that it’s extremely hard to go from college to the majors, especially when you consider that Burdi has some command issues to work through. And what is the best case scenario here? That he becomes Brandon Finnegan, who pitched a few innings in September 2014, and struggled in his time in the post-season. Finnegan has continued his success since that season, but if you’re drafting Burdi just for help this year, you’re using a valuable pick on something that might not even happen, and won’t provide a lot of value if it does happen.
We ranked Burdi in tier 4. That’s the group made up of players who would be a bit of a reach for the first round pick, but who would be outstanding for the second pick (#41). If Burdi did fall to 41st overall, I think he’d be a no-brainer there. Then the risk would be worth it, as you’re probably not passing over a few guys with higher upsides.
But all logic aside, Burdi is a fun story to think about. The Pirates have a great offense, a lot of top pitching prospects starting to arrive to help their struggling rotation, and the one area of need is the bullpen. They’ve got a loaded farm system, and could spare using a pick for short-term help. And there’s a draft pick who could have a shot at helping this year, in the one area where they need help. In a perfect world, Burdi is the obvious pick, and he comes up this year and makes a nice impact. But realistically, it’s far from a guarantee that he comes up this year, and if he doesn’t, then you drafted a guy with a lower upside for nothing.
We’ll be tracking the draft the next three days, with the best Pirates draft coverage you can find. If you’re not a subscriber, be sure to sign up today to get the upcoming draft coverage, plus all of our great coverage from around the system.
**Speaking of great coverage, we’re now entering one of the busiest times of the year. Over the next two months we will have coverage of draft signings, international signings, trade rumors, trades, minor league promotions, major league debuts, and that’s not including all of our regular coverage. You’re probably going to be flooded with articles, with about ten per day on average, all on the Pirates. It looks like that already started today, as you can see in the links below. Our subscribers have no shortage of great Pirates content to read.
**Pirates Prospects 2016 MLB Draft Top 100 Tiered Rankings. Our tiered rankings, to get you prepared for tomorrow. Also, be sure to bookmark our Draft Pick Signing Tracker.
**Jameson Taillon Looked Like He Belongs in the Big Leagues in Pro Debut. Alan Saunders recaps Taillon’s debut, noting that he looks like he belongs in the big leagues. I’d agree. The stat line wasn’t the best, but that serves as a reminder of how big that jump is from Triple-A to the majors. Taillon looked as polished as you can get, and in my opinion, Super Two was the only thing holding him back to this point. But even with the great numbers in Triple-A, and the polished stuff, he had a start that saw a few struggles and a stat line that would get Jeff Locke destroyed.
And this is all normal. It’s very rare that a pitcher, no matter how ready, comes up and dominates from day one. What I saw tonight was a guy who was big league ready, but will have a few bumps along the way, before really settling down at some point this season and starting to reach his upside. I saw that in Indianapolis as well. It’s not what I see in Tyler Glasnow right now, but he’ll get there. Taillon tonight reminded me a lot of how Cole looked in 2013. He was ready for the big leagues, but didn’t have great results at first. After about a month of adjusting, he started looking like a good pitcher, and once September rolled around, he was lights out. Let’s hope for the same from Taillon this year. I think he can do it.
**Pirates Players ‘Excited’ for Taillon’s Debut, Reflect on Their Own Debuts. Alan also talked with a few players prior to the game who reflected back to their own debuts, and who were excited to see Taillon.
**The Book on Jameson Taillon. Here was my preview on Taillon, with everything you need to know about his game.
**Pirates Officially Call Up Jameson Taillon, Option Curtis Partch to Indianapolis. With Partch going down, the Pirates are short a reliever, which almost led to a position player pitching tonight, if they would have tied the game. I’d expect them to make a move to fix this and get another reliever up soon.
**Prospect Watch: Meadows Extends Hit Streak with Home Run. How good has Austin Meadows been lately? Between Andrew McCutchen struggling, and Austin Meadows showing why he’s one of the top prospects in baseball, I don’t think it’s going to be controversial anymore to refer to Meadows as the guy who will replace McCutchen in a few years.
**Injury Updates: Starling Marte Still Sidelined; Ryan Vogelsong Begins Recovery. Alan Saunders has the latest injury updates from Pittsburgh.
**Minor Moves: JT Brubaker Promoted to Bradenton. Flying under the radar today, the Pirates promoted their sixth round pick last year, sending him up to Bradenton. In the article, I break down his stuff and what he achieved in West Virginia this year.
**Morning Report: Draft News and Notes. John Dreker has some news and notes on the draft. We’ll have all of the final mock drafts and updates throughout the day tomorrow.
Tim started Pirates Prospects in 2009 from his home in Virginia, which was 40 minutes from where Pedro Alvarez made his pro debut in Lynchburg. That year, the Lynchburg Hillcats won the Carolina League championship, and Pirates Prospects was born from Tim's reporting along the way. The site has grown over the years to include many more writers, and Tim has gone on to become a credentialed MLB reporter, producing Pirates Prospects each year, and will publish his 11th Prospect Guide this offseason. He has also served as the Pittsburgh Pirates correspondent for Baseball America since 2019. Behind the scenes, Tim is an avid music lover, and most of the money he gets paid to run this site goes to vinyl records.
As you know I am trying to learn about these things.
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If by some miracle we would be able to draft Burdi,
where would he be sent first? Charleston?
Florida, Altoona?
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If they would get Zeuch, where does he go?
Morgantown?
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Just let them draft someone I can dream on. Usually a high school bat does it for me.
The Pirates have never taken a relief pitcher in the first round, unless you count Vic Black, who was a compensation pick at number 49,
Did Moskos not happen?
I’m not referring to Dave Littlefield picks.
Crazy thing is…Burdi is a much superior prospect than Moskos ever could have wished to be.
That’s debatable.
We know Moskos didn’t work out, and that clouds the debate. But at the time of the draft, the report was that he could throw 97 MPH out of the bullpen, with a wipeout slider. For a lefty, that is really strong.
Moskos is an example of how you can’t just pencil Burdi in to automatically be a great reliever.
I was surprised actually when I looked it up that Moskos was ranked 8th overall in the BA 2007 Draft Rankings. In my Pirates fan mind I want to remember him as a projected 3rd or 4th rounder.
For everyone’s reading pleasure, here is Moskos’ scouting report from BA:
A Greenville, S.C., native, Moskos moved to California with his family, but returned to his roots to attend Clemson. He posted a 5.40 ERA in 21 relief appearances as a freshman, then inherited the Tigers’ closer role as a sophomore and showed potential. He ranked as the No. 3 prospect for USA Baseball’s college national team last summer, when he amassed 35 strikeouts and a stingy 0.86 ERA in 21 innings. With feel for three potentially plus pitches, he moved into Clemson’s rotation near midseason and profiles as middle of the rotation starter in the big leagues. Stocky and compact, Moskos pounds the zone with a 91-95 mph fastball that bumped 97 out of the bullpen. He has a wipeout slider that has been up to 87 and also shows a more conventional curveball that he tends to use earlier in the count, just to keep hitters off balance. His changeup has fade, and he mixed all four of his pitches extremely well. Moskos has solid-average command of all of his stuff. He lacks projection and doesn’t hold runners well. He joins Ross Detwiler and David Price as the cream of an especially strong crop of lefthanders in this year’s draft.
GOD FORBID! PLEASE END THE CORY LUEBKE EXPERIMENT!!! HE’S SO WEAK!!! I don’t care if Watson is the only LHP in the BP! JUST STOP! MAN I CAN’T WAIT TILL THE TRADE DEADLINE!
I know this is going to be a strange draft esp when you look at the mocks and see players everywhere. I just read SI.coms mock and they don’t have Kiriloff in the top 34! If the Pirates have a chance, I know for a fact they would take him. Also good to have OFs esp in the lower levels where we don’t have too many good ones.
I hope they don’t take Burdi in the first. I think he’ll be there for their second pick, I’d consider him there.
Consider him there? Would be idiotic not to take him 41 but I doubt he’ll be there then
Realistically all that you want from a 1st round pick is a successful major leaguer with All Star upside…IF you could get Craig Kimbrel for the 22nd pick would you do it? I think everyone would say yes…that is the potential you get with Burdi.
Can we get rid of Luebke already! This is starting to be sad how pathetic that man is out of the bullpen. He now has a 13 ERA! I don’t think I have seen an ERA that high since I played baseball as a 12 year old.
Jared if we had Kimbrel now life would be easier. We need help in the pen and hopefully someone at PBC is working on solving that. Too many Lobstein’s, Schugels, Luebke’s and Partch’s. Need a couple of solid guys like we had the past three years. Hell I would take Vogelsong now.
I completely agree. I don’t look at Burdi and think “ohh what a terrible waste it would be to select a reliever with the first pick”…I look at him and think my god if you can get a Kimbrel with the 22nd selection you would EVERY time.
If you could be assured of it, sure.
But its a draft pick, and how often do we hear all prospects are far from sure things?
With a relief pitcher, thats magnified. If he struggles, nowhere to go. When a SP struggles, he then becomes a relief arm with a chance to provide value.
Thats why putting high draft capital into a relief arm is nearly always foolish. If he doesnt become a legit back end arm, thats poor draft value.
Agree completely that Jared’s argument implies that Burdi is guaranteed to be the next Kimbrel, which couldn’t be farther than the truth. The answer to the question of whether it would be a foolish 1st round pick lies completely in what the odds are, which is impossible to know except on an aggregate basis. I will say that, though, if the FO thinks he also has a shot at starting in the future, that they are confident that they can fix his control issues, and that they can get relief value out of him this season, then it might actually be a decent bet to make at #22 . I’d still be uneasy about it but I wouldn’t mind the gamble if all of those were true. I agree with Tim that it’s probably a no-brainer at #41 , even if he doesn’t help this year.
Ok. I will see your argument and raise you an alternative argument. You think Tyler Glasnow is a pretty darn good pitching prospect, right? Maybe even elite? He has two plus pitches and probably a below average change and sketchy control. Yes? Burdi has an even better fastball as well as a plus secondary pitch and another pitch that is at least average but when it’s on is a PLUS 3rd pitch with sketchy control, although honestly his bb/ratio over the small sample size of innings he has is better than what we still see from Glasnow (lower competition yes). You’ve got a pitcher with some control issues but a dominant plus-plus fastball wit two pitches that are at least better than average backing up that fastball. Sorry…I take that ANY day…especially with the lack of innings on his arm bc he has been a closer the whole time. He’s got better overall stuff and control than his brother Nick and I certainly would imagine he immediately becomes a top 5 prospect in this system and at worst becomes a dominant reliever.
If this were all true, then Burdi would be taken long before the 22nd overall pick.
You cannot provide anecdotes as the basis for taking a guy, because the majority of picks dont end up in the majors.
For every case you provide as why this is a no brainer, about 10 others show why its a huge risk.
Burdi is not clearly any more elite than his brother. Check out his brothers stats.
Oh, I don’t think it’s not a risk. I just think at 22 it is a risk I would take. With the 2nd to last pick in the 1st round I certainly would love a shot at a Finnegan type and I think Burdi can do it and then be stretched out as a starter.
And before you say it…yes Kimbrel was drafted in 3rd round. Irrelevant.
From an amateur’s prospective, I think Taillon is going to be great. I think his floor is a high-end #3 and his ceiling is a solid #1 .
Do we have any prospects that could bolster our BP? Everyone is trash other than MM, TW, and NF.
Just for funs sake we could make the same statement about Stetson Allie, hey dipshit grab the ball go to the pen and bring some 100. I mean really someone has to just tell him. 2 million reasons why.
Hopefully we’ll be celebrating a Bucco win around the time we draft?
I’m hoping Locke can go deep in the game at Coors today (and get a win), the bullpen could use an easy night.
I for one though we were playing @St. Louis Friday bc of going to Coors Field today. That’s going to hurt going there for one day and going back home. Hopefully the boys are used Coors by now!
I’m not as sanguine about this game in Denver as you Foo. Maybe because I was reading The Leatherstocking Tales munching on a stock of celery and nauseous about the state of our bullpen. I plan on stalking Hurdle and try to get him to apply a bunt once this season with Sean Rod. Also I have started to erect a statue of Taillion in my backyard because everyone thinks he is great.
Hurdle gave a reason for the non bunt:
If you bunt, you play for 1 run and with 0 arms left and both Cole and Liriano already used via a side bullpen session they were very seriously going to have to use a position player to pitch the rest of the game.
Meaning he was either going to win that game in the 9th, or lose it. Extras meant S Rod or J Hay pitching.