The new updated rankings for the top 100 prospects in this draft class were released by MLB.com today. Jim Callis also released an article about some of the top names in the draft class.
MLB.com ranked Wichita State first baseman Casey Gillaspie 24th overall, which is where the Pittsburgh Pirates make their first round selection. Luckily this morning, we posted highlight videos of some likely targets for the Pirates and Gillaspie was the choice for the college bat, so you can see a video on him here. Every Thursday, we will spotlight four players in the Pirates first round pick range, leading up to the first day of the draft on June 5th.
You can also check the MLB.com list for the players ranked in the 65-74 range, the spots where the Pirates make their second and third overall picks. Many of those names have been mentioned here often. One interesting one is #63, Jake Stinnett, a starting pitcher out of Maryland who was taken in the 29th round by the Pirates last year, but decided to return to school. He has really impressed this year, out-dueling some top names and he threw a no-hitter.
You get to #38 on the list before you reach a player that hasn’t been covered here during the season, so I’ll include a brief write-up on him. Jakson Reetz is a HS catcher from Nebraska with solid average tools across the board. He is very athletic and will stick at the backstop position. Reetz has a solid bat and could add power as he fills out. He is hitting .522 in 18 games, with eight doubles and seven homers. I’ve included a video below.