Pirates

MLB Draft: Pirates select high-school RHP Jones at No. 44

Jun 11, 2020 • 5:39 pm

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With the No. 44 overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft, the Pittsburgh Pirates select Jared Jones, right-handed pitcher, out of La Mirada High School in La Mirada, Calif.

The pick of Jones marks the Pirates' first selection on Day 2 of the draft. On Day 1, the Pirates went with power-hitting infielder Nick Gonzales at No. 7 overall and right-handed pitcher Carmen Mlodzinski at No. 31 overall.

Now, general manager Ben Cherington and company head back to high school to snag Jones, a 6-foot-2 righty with a plus fastball that sits comfortably around 95 mph as well as a plus slider. His control has been an issue to date, and his changeup also needs work, but the raw material looks intriguing for the Pirates' system to develop.

And, if you're more into data, check this out. Dude's a spin monster:

.@jared_jones_17 of @LMBaseball20 during our @PBR_California @TrackManBB session.
FB: 92.4 AVG/ 95.1 Peak
SPIN: 2554 RPM
CB: 76.04 AVG/ 79.25 Peak
SPIN: 2659 RPM
SL: 81.94 AVG/83.32 Peak
SPIN: 2707
CH: 83.96 AVG/85.15 Peak
SPIN: 1821 pic.twitter.com/DHpBA3lWVg
— ??? ?????? (@LesLukach) May 30, 2020

Interestingly, Jones also brings a solid bat to the table, hitting .457 with La Mirada last year. Currently, he is committed to Texas and is reportedly undecided if he will sign professionally or honor that college commitment.

Just spoke to La Mirada's Jared Jones, who a few minutes ago was taken No. 44 overall by the Pirates. He is a Texas commit, and he said he hasn't yet decided if he is going to sign professionally or go to college. His slot value is $1.69 million #MLBDraft2020
— Robert Morales (@RMoralesPT) June 11, 2020

With this, the Pirates take their first high-school player of the draft. Jones, while far from a sure thing, boasts great upside and will be a project worth tracking as he begins his journey to the bigs.