The Pittsburgh Pirates have drafted Nelson Jorge, a shortstop from the International Baseball Academy in Puerto Rico in the seventh round of the 2014 MLB draft. Jorge is a good runner, and has good arm strength. Perfect Game reports that he ran a 6.96 sixty yard dash, and has been as quick as 6.54. The better number is about 65-70 speed.
Jorge is a switch hitter, but he’s better left-handed. He’s got good bat speed from the left side, makes hard contact, and hits to the right-center gap. He’s athletic and has a strong arm. That, plus his speed, should give him a shot at staying at shortstop. He’s much better at second base, and he is athletic enough to play the outfield.
Jorge has a commitment to Des Moines Area CC. The last time the Pirates drafted a player out of Puerto Rico was in the 7th round of the 2008 draft, when they took another shortstop, Benji Gonzalez.
Tim started Pirates Prospects in 2009 from his home in Virginia, which was 40 minutes from where Pedro Alvarez made his pro debut in Lynchburg. That year, the Lynchburg Hillcats won the Carolina League championship, and Pirates Prospects was born from Tim's reporting along the way. The site has grown over the years to include many more writers, and Tim has gone on to become a credentialed MLB reporter, producing Pirates Prospects each year, and will publish his 11th Prospect Guide this offseason. He has also served as the Pittsburgh Pirates correspondent for Baseball America since 2019. Behind the scenes, Tim is an avid music lover, and most of the money he gets paid to run this site goes to vinyl records.
Isn’t he also known as Nelson Jorge Pagan?
As soon as I saw this I thought of Benji Gonzalez
Possibly the second or third best selection thus far. Depends on what you think of the 1st and 2nd round picks.