MLB Draft: Who'll be Pirates' pick today?

The Major League Baseball amateur draft is just days away, with the first round being held June 10 and rounds 2-5 on June 11.

It will one of Ben Cherington and assistant general manager Steve Sanders' few chances to add impact talent into the organization, holding two first-round draft picks. The Pirates will pick seventh overall, and then they were awarded a competitive balance round A pick at 31st overall.

However, the Pirates have been noted as a particularly tough team to get a feel for what they are doing this draft. It's why Hunter Homistek has rarely had any repeats while writing up the Pirates' results in other mock drafts. That's mostly because of the change in leadership this offseason.

“If you want to tell us who we’re taking, you have as good a guess as I do, probably, at this point,” Cherington joked during a Zoom call last week.

Sure, I'll give it a crack. After all, what's an actual draft if it's not preceded with a mock draft? It's a fool's errand to try to project beyond the first couple picks, but let's take a look at how the first round could shake out.

1. Tigers- Spencer Torkelson, 1B, Arizona State

It's a bit odd to see a first baseman be the unanimous first overall pick since it means he is basically locked to that position, but Torkelson's raw power and terrific hit tool makes him by far the best hitter out of this draft. For example, he broke the freshman ASU home run record, which was held by someone named Barry Bonds, whoever that is.

2. Orioles- Austin Martin, OF, Vanderbilt

This draft has a pretty clear 1-2, Torkelson and Martin. He has a smooth swing, can play a premium position and has an overall very good collection of tools. There are rumors that the Orioles might be looking for a player who they know will sign underslot, but in a five round draft, it seems like there would be less beneficial to spread cash around. They'd be better off taking the best player on the board.

3. Marlins- Asa Lacy, LHP, Texas A&M

The best pitcher in this draft, Lacy mixes an upper-90s fastball with a wipeout slider and has a plus curveball in his back pocket, just in case. He is basically the perfect draft prospect, which is why he is believed to be the Tigers' second choice after Torkelson.

4. Royals- Zach Veen, OF, Spruce Creek HS (Fla.)

There have been rumors of Veen going to the Orioles or Marlins since he is the ideal draft pick: A top-10 talent who teams think will sign significantly underslot. That is the main reason why he has shot up mock draft boards over the past few weeks, but he also has a smooth left-handed swing and has added plenty of muscle over the past year. Veen is going to be very coveted, so it's hard to see him lasting very long on draft day.



5. Blue Jays - Max Meyer, RHP, Minnesota

The Blue Jays haven't shied away from risky collegiate pitchers with their first-round picks recently, drafting Nate Pearson in 2017 and Alek Manoah last year, but those drafts were lead by Sanders. It will be interesting to see if they continue to use the same strategy now that Sanders is with the Pirates. Meyer has arguably the best fastball and slider in this draft, but there are concerns of if he can develop a third pitch and curb his control problems. If he can, he is an ace in the making. If he cannot, then it looks like his floor will be as a reliever.

6. Mariners - Nick Gonzales, 2B, New Mexico State

Gonzales has bounced around through the fourth and 10th picks throughout all mock drafts, signaling he is a top 10 talent, but probably a team's second or third choice on its board. He has the bat, but there are questions with his glove and if he could stick at second base. There's a chance he may need to go to a corner infield or outfield spot, which could hurt his draft value. Still, the bat plays, and he'll go somewhere in the top 10.

7. Pirates- Emerson Hancock, RHP, Georgia

It's hard to envision the Pirates leaving this draft without a college arm. Cherington has said it's a strength in this draft, he and Sanders have a history of going after collegiate pitching and there are some big arms who will start going off the board about this pick. That includes Hancock, who some scouts believe is the best right-handed pitcher in this draft. He can dial his fastball into the upper 90s, has four pitches that have the potential to be plus or plus-plus and has a proven track record, excelling against SEC batters. Once Mitch Keller and Ke'Bryan Hayes shed their rookie status, Hancock would be the organization's second best prospect, behind Oneil Cruz.

8. Padres- Robert Hassell, OF, Independence HS, Tenn.

There will be a number of outfielders starting to come off the board around here. While it's debatable if Hassell is the best out of that second-tier of outfielders, he appears to be very signable. The Padres are a consistently hard team to read, and their spot in the order makes them the perfect home if someone like Gonzales, Hancock or Meyer fall on draft day.

9. Rockies- Reid Detmers, LHP, Louisville

Detmers, Hancock and Meyer are considered to be in a class by themselves as far as college pitching goes. Detmers' fastball isn't as lively as the other two, but he has the best curveball in the draft and a strong track record. The Rockies will always have trouble attracting free agent pitchers to Coors Field, so they need to produce their arms. Detmers looks like a good fit.

10. Angels- Heston Kjerstad, OF, Arkansas

Playing in the SEC, few hitters in this draft can claim they have faced tougher pitching than Kjerstad, and he has excelled. He is a very rounded player and probably has the highest floor out of this second-tier of outfielders. Plus, with how much the Angels have gutted their player development recently, it seems like they would be better off taking a more developed college bat rather than a high schooler.

11. White Sox- Patrick Bailey, C, North Carolina State

12. Reds- Austin Hendrick, OF, West Allegheny HS, Pa.

Arguably the best player to come out of the Pittsburgh area since Neil Walker in 2004, Hendrick has been projected as one of the best players in this class ever since he was a freshman in high school. It looks like he'll just miss out on being a top-10 pick, but there may be a chance he goes to that team picking seventh.

13. Giants- Nick Bitsko, RHP, Central Bucks East HS, Pa.

14. Rangers- Garrett Mitchell, OF, UCLA

15. Phillies- Tyler Soderstorm, C, Tuclock HS, Calif.

16. Cubs- Mick Abel, RHP, Jesuit HS, Ore.

17. Red Sox- Garrett Crochet, LHP, Tennessee

18. Diamondbacks- Pete Crow-Armstrong, OF, Harvard-Westlake HS, Calif.

19. Mets- Jared Kelley, RHP, Refugio HS, Texas

20. Brewers- Clayton Beeter, RHP, Texas Tech

21. Cardinals- Nick Loftin, SS, Baylor

22. Nationals- Justin Foscue, 2B, Mississippi State

23. Indians- Cade Cavalli, RHP, Oklahoma

24. Rays- Ed Howard, SS, Mount Carmel HS, Ill.

25. Braves- Cole Wilcox, RHP, Georgia

26. Athletics- Jordan Westburg, SS, Mississippi State

27. Twins- Austin Wells, C/1B, Arizona

28. Yankees- Cole Wilcox, RHP, Georgia

29. Dodgers- Bryce Jarvis, RHP, Duke

COMPETITIVE BALANCE ROUND A

30. Orioles- Slade Cecconi, RHP, Miami

31. Pirates- Dillon Dingler, C/OF, Ohio State

There is a good chance Dingler goes before the Pirates get to their second pick, with some projecting him to be picked halfway through the first-round and others saying he won't be selected until day two. I'm less inclined to believe the latter, because Dingler seems like a great fit for the Pirates. He is the best defensive catcher in this draft, and he can even play center field if a team was looking to hedge their bet. There are some concerns with his power, mostly stemming from a broken hamate in 2019. While Ohio State did not get to conference play and it is a small sample size, Dingler was the best hitter on the team, batting .340 with five home runs and an 1.164 OPS over 13 games. There is obvious risk and upside here. That sounds like the type of player teams should target whenever they are gifted a competitive balance A pick.

32. Royals- Justin Lange, RHP, Llano HS, Texas

33. Diamondbacks- Bobby Miller, RHP, Louisville

34. Padres- JT Ginn, RHP, Mississippi State

35. Rockies- Drew Romo, The Woodlands HS, Texas

36. Indians- Carson Tucker, SS, Mountain Pointe HS, Ariz.

37. Rays- Aaron Sabato, 1B, North Carolina