Keith Law posted his third mock draft today(subscription required) and he has a surprising name falling to the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 24th spot. Law thinks that they could take Bradley Zimmer, the outfielder from San Francisco. This could be considered a huge drop for Zimmer, who was mentioned for awhile this season as the best college bat in the draft, ranked in the top ten for draft prospects numerous times.
Law mentions what we already know about the Pirates, that they will take best player available, regardless of position. If Zimmer really falls to them, I could see them taking him despite having plenty of depth in the outfield. Most people believed Zimmer wouldn’t make it past the Kansas City Royals, who have his brother Kyle in their farm system as one of their top prospects.
Bradley Zimmer has the potential for above average tools across the board, making him a polished five tool player. He has good speed, allowing him to steal bases and play center field, where his arm is above average. He can also hit for power and should hit for average as well. He would seem like a steal at the 24th pick.
Earlier today, Baseball America released their top 500 prospects list. Zimmer ranks 14th on their list. He has dropped since early in the year, but this is the first time he has been as low as 24 in any mock draft.
