With their ninth round pick in the 2018 MLB amateur draft, the Pittsburgh Pirates selected right-handed pitcher Logan Stoelke out of the University of Louisiana Lafayette.
Stoelke is the seventh straight college pick and he’s their first senior in college. His draft slot value is $150,200, which means the Pirates should see a large savings from this pick to put towards potential over-slot deals. It doesn’t appear that there will be any over-slot deals necessary for the first eight rounds, so it could make the picks on day three more interesting. Seniors usually sign in the $5,000 to $10,000 range and agree to deals ahead of time to ensure those savings for teams.
Back to Stoelke, who turns 23 years old in August. He stands 6’3″, 185 pounds. He is very inexperienced for a college pitcher. He made 13 appearances total during his first three seasons, then pitched 33.1 innings this year. This season he had a 2.97 ERA and a .165 BAA, with 36 strikeouts and 15 walks in 21 appearances.
Stoelke ranked 416th for Baseball America, who reports that he has 92-95 MPH fastball, along with an average changeup and a breaking ball that is seldom used and needs work. He’s like to remain in relief in the pros, as he has already pitched much more this season than any prior year. He should go to either Morgantown or Bristol.
