Day two of the draft is about an hour and a half away. The Pirates went for upside on day one, taking two prep hitters in the first round, and a prep pitcher in the second round. You can read the day one recap here, and our day one reactions here. Also, here is a preview to get you started on day two.
As usual, day one of the draft is followed by “Winners and Losers” lists, as well as some other analysis on the picks. Below are some links to such lists and analysis.
**Sports Illustrated named the Pirates the biggest winner, noting that they got the second best outfielder and the best catcher in the draft.
**Baseball America had their first round analysis for each pick. They called Austin Meadows a similar player to David Dahl, who the Pirates wanted last year. They also said he is likely ahead of Josh Bell, and fits in the middle of the Pirates’ top ten. We’re working on the mid-season rankings for early next week, and added Meadows to the list last night. That’s where we’ve got him at this point, although the list isn’t final. For Reese McGuire, they said he should rank in the 8-10 range, noting that the system is deep. Looking at our unfinished list, there are a lot of guys in the 8-13 range who would be candidates for the top five in a weaker system.
**ESPN had their first round analysis for each pick. Jason Churchill said that Meadows has a lot of tools and future power, giving the Pirates something they lack — a left-handed hitter with upside. Christopher Crawford said that if Reese McGuire can show enough offensive ability to justify playing everyday, he could be one of the best defensive catchers in all of baseball in 3-4 years.
**ESPN also had highlights on the second round. At the top of the “Biggest Upside” list was Blake Taylor. Christopher Crawford noted that he’s all about projection at age 17 and with an outstanding pitching body. He also noted the Pirates have a ton of arms, so they can take it slow with Taylor.
