MLB announced the order for the competitive balance picks in the 2023 draft and the Pittsburgh Pirates got the worst possible outcome. It was already decided before this year that they would pick after the second round (they will pick after the first round in 2024), but today it was announced that the Pirates will have the final competitive balance pick. There were six teams in the pool for the competitive balance round B, so it was possible to pick up to five spots earlier in the draft if they did better during the season (explanation at the bottom of the article), though that would have worked against them in every other round. The actual spot for the pick itself will be decided once the qualified free agents sign.
The link above has details about the free agents who will be the deciding factor in where this pick ends up. In the past it has been around the 70th-75th overall range. The Pirates are in the lottery for the top six picks that will take place next week. They will end up somewhere between the 1st pick overall and the ninth pick.
John started working at Pirates Prospects in 2009, but his connection to the Pittsburgh Pirates started exactly 100 years earlier when Dots Miller debuted for the 1909 World Series champions. John was born in Kearny, NJ, two blocks from the house where Dots Miller grew up. From that hometown hero connection came a love of Pirates history, as well as the sport of baseball.
When he didn't make it as a lefty pitcher with an 80+ MPH fastball and a slider that needed work, John turned to covering the game, eventually focusing in on the prospects side, where his interest was pushed by the big league team being below .500 for so long. John has covered the minors in some form since the 2002 season, and leads the draft and international coverage on Pirates Prospects. He writes daily on Pittsburgh Baseball History, when he's not covering the entire system daily throughout the entire year on Pirates Prospects.
I see I got another downvote from Leuhr22. I feel like I have a stalker. Can I call the Dream Police for help? Who the bleep IS this guy and why has he targeted me?
Historially, one in six of these players will have at least an average career. (think Kevin Newman like or better). The rest will be bums. We just have to hope that we get one of the two that make it.
Take a look at:
2017. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2017_Major_League_Baseball_draft
2016: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2015_Major_League_Baseball_draft
2015: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2015_Major_League_Baseball_draft
I thought I saw a report from Ethan that within the round the order was based upon previous season record from best to worst not a lottery.
That’s true for everything except the first six picks and the competitive balance picks
No I’m thinking the competitive balance rounds are flipped and go best to worst. It does seem to follow that order.
Round A
Mariners 90 wins
Rays 86
Brewers 86
Twins 78
Marlins 69
Tigers 66
Reds 62
As 60
Round B
Guardians 92 wins
Orioles 83
D backs 74
Rockies 68
Royals 65
Pirates 62
It didn’t work out that way last year, unless it was new for 2023 in the last CBA. Either way it was still technically set by a lottery, which is how A’s ended up in the A round this year and Pirates have known they were in the B round
I finally found it in a BA article about the lottery. That’s the first I heard of that rule and I updated the wording. It is new for 2023. It really sounds like the dumbest addition to the rule, but I guess I should be ready for anything with Manfred around. If the whole point is competitive balance, why would you then reward the better team? You can be a smaller market but don’t do poorly in that small market
“ If the whole point is competitive balance, why would you then reward the better team? ”
Some teams receive an extra pick -> competitive balance advantage
Assigning the team with the worst record the worst of the CB picks -> the tanking penalty
It makes some sense. Since all of these teams are deemed to have a competitive disadvantage, why not reward the ones who succeed despite that disadvantage?
I think it has more to do with Manfred getting complaints from the larger markets about owners like Nutting just pocketing the revenue sharing money. Not because they want the Pirates to be competitive, but because they resent paying money into Nutting’s family trust fund. And Manfred has to worry about the union. The grievance against the Pirates is still pending.
It goes opposite of the whole idea of the draft of not rewarding success. Think about it, a team that won 90 games picks five spots higher than a team that won 62? Which team needs that draft spot more. I’d rather see teams that made the playoffs not get an extra pick
Yes, for the draft in general. But for these extra competitive balance picks, I think ordering things from best to worst makes some sense.
I’m all for smaller market teams that succeed in spite of their market yet a bonus. Because otherwise you’re rewarding both frugality and incompetence with poor teams getting higher picks all the time.
Yup, it would be mathematical improbablility for this to happen other wise.
I bet they get the last comp B pick _and_ pick number 9 lol
1-1 feeling lucky.
Lose for Crews! Let’s hope it works out!
IMO he was the 3rd best of the SEC outfielders on the USA National College Team
Behind Bradfield and Langford? They’re all quite close. I’d honestly be happy with any of them. Bradfield looks fun as hell. Same with Langford. But Crews has the cool tagline so that’s the tiebreaker.
Yes they are all really good
The USA College Team was really fun to watch this summer
Also a lot can change. One thing about this draft is it seems there’s more high ceiling college bats than before. Those three, Gonzalez, Wilson…all five of those guys look like potential top 10 picks right now.
I agree
This guy didn’t make the team but should be an excellent pro
https://gopack.com/sports/baseball/roster/lujames-groover-iii/11912