First Pitch: The 2012 Draft Order

The 2012 draft order has been made official by Major League Baseball, with the breakdown being posted on MLB.com today. In the past we’ve previewed the picks the Pirates will have in the draft, but the list provided makes it official. So here they are again.

1st Round – The Pirates will pick 8th overall.

Compensation Round – The Pirates will receive the 45th overall pick as compensation for Ryan Doumit. They don’t have a compensation pick for Derrek Lee.

Second Round – The Pirates pick 69th overall.

Third Round – The Pirates pick 103rd overall.

Fourth Round – The Pirates pick 136th overall.

Rounds 5 Through 40 – Add 30 to the previous round’s pick.

Last week I took a look at the mid-season rankings, which only look at the top 50. The post includes who the Pirates would take if the draft went according to the rankings.

Links and Notes

**There’s a promotion on the site this week with DraftStreet.com, which provides a new way to play fantasy baseball. Pirates Prospects and DraftStreet.com have teamed up to provide a FREE one-day fantasy baseball contest. The best part is that you can compete to win part of a $200 prize pool, paid out to the top six places. Plus, you help the site out. I tried out DraftStreet last week, and quickly got addicted. I put $20 in my account, and won two leagues on my second day, doubling my money. Of course, the Pirates Prospects contest requires no deposits. It’s totally free, but still comes with the chance to win money. CLICK HERE to sign up for the contest.

**The Pirates beat the Diamondbacks 5-4 today. Game story here.

**Jeff Karstens was removed from the game with right shoulder inflammation.

**Prospect Watch: A four hit night for Alex Dickerson.

**James McDonald is getting hands on experience from the veteran pitchers.

**I held my weekly prospect chat today. Here is the transcript.

**The Pirates Minor League Schedule for 4/18.