The Pittsburgh Pirates have drafted right fielder Jordan Luplow from Fresno State in the third round with the 100th overall pick in the draft. This is not a bad pick in the third round. Luplow was ranked 103rd overall by Baseball America. He was slightly higher by MLB.com (94th) and Keith Law (95th).
He’s had some medical problems in the past, needing labrum surgery during his senior year of high school, and dealing with injury problems his first two years of college. Baseball America said that if teams have no medical concerns, he’d have the bat for the first three rounds. Luplow hit for a .385/.478/.629 line in his junior season this year.
Defensively, he’s a former third baseman who can play all three outfield positions, and has the arm strength for right field. The Pirates announced him as a right fielder, which is where he’s expected to play. This is the second college right fielder they’ve taken in this draft, after announcing that compensation pick Connor Joe would be a right fielder.
Keith Law says that Luplow could be an everyday outfielder with above-average offense, although he notes that there’s a lot of work to be done with his swing. MLB.com throws out an A.J. Pollock comp, saying that Luplow makes hard contact on a consistent basis, and doesn’t have any other tools that stand out but is an all-around performer.
