It may or may not be a surprise that the MLB draft has always been the biggest event on this site. It was a few years ago, during the 2009 draft, that the site got its first boost in readers on draft day. The site went from having 200-300 views per day to over 2,000 views per day thanks in large part to Rob Neyer highlighting my day two recap. Ironically the day two recap talked about how the prep pitchers in the 2009 draft made the Tony Sanchez pick look better. How things change.
The site has continued to grow, usually around the same time each year. This week alone we’re expecting over half a million views on the site, which is incredibly overwhelming and much appreciated. As the site has grown, the coverage of the draft has also grown. So to help you out, here is a guide for how to follow the draft on Pirates Prospects, both on draft day and after the draft is over.
Leading Up to the Draft
All of our draft coverage to date can be found in the 2013 Draft section of the site. We’ve been keeping track of the 2013 draft for most of the last year, so you can go back and see how the rankings have changed and how players have looked at different points throughout the year.
You can also check out our Top 100 Tiered Rankings to get an idea of where the first few picks for the Pirates rank.
Be sure to listen to the latest Pirates Prospects Podcast, where we discuss those top 100 rankings, and talk with Jim Callis of Baseball America about some of the players who have been linked to the Pirates recently.
Also, we have a special 2013 draft sale on the Pirates Prospects 2013 Prospect Guide. Just use the code “2013DRAFT” when ordering and you can save $8 per book!
The Days of the Draft
You can follow the draft on MLB.com, which will have a live stream all three days. Here is the schedule for each day.
Thursday – Rounds 1-2 (7 PM)
Friday – Rounds 3-10 (1 PM)
Saturday – Rounds 11-40 (1 PM)
We will be following along with each pick. John Dreker and I will be discussing the draft on Twitter, so follow us on there for input (@timwilliamsP2 and @JohnDreker). Also, while you’re at it, follow the site account (@pirateprospects) and our Pirates beat writers Tom Bragg (@TomBraggSports) and James Santelli (@JamesSantelli). You can also follow the site on Facebook. I can’t promise I’ll be updating the Facebook page with my thoughts during the draft, but it will alert you whenever there’s a new article posted on the site.
When the Pirates make a pick, we will post an article to the site with information and analysis on the selection. We will also post their player page on the site, giving a scouting report, stats, and any other information we can find on the pick. You can check that out by visiting the player page section, linked here, or found by clicking “Players” at the top of any page.
At the end of each day we will be analyzing the draft, and will have complete recaps on all of the picks that day. We will also preview days two and three, updating the draft boards and looking at who is left after the dust settles from days one and two.
After the Draft
When the draft is over, the coverage begins. The draft pick signing deadline is July 12th at 5 PM. Bookmark the 2013 Draft Pick Signing Tracker to keep track of all of the picks that have signed. You can also use the tracker to see how much the Pirates have remaining in their bonus pool, and how much over-slot money they have remaining before any draft pick penalties.
When players have agreed to sign, or officially sign, we will report the news on the site. Over the last few years we’ve broken more draft signings than any other outlet, so most of the time you’ll hear about draft signings here before anywhere else. You can follow the signings, and any other transaction in the system, on the transactions section of the site.
