The Pittsburgh Pirates wrapped up their 2022 draft class by taking seven more pitchers on day three — eight if you count the two-way player.
In total, the Pirates drafted 14 pitchers (of 21 picks), with two more that could potentially see time on the mound.
The attention now shifts to getting all of these players signed, and with the draft over and down with, here are some final thoughts about the last three days.
— The Pirates went heavily after college seniors, taking eight overall, two of which came in the first 10 rounds. The big targets for over slot are likely Michael Kennedy, Thomas Harrington, and Yoel Tejeda. The latter of which is probably the only real risk of not signing, with the 19th rounder having a commitment to Florida.
The Pirates finished two short (Chazz Martinez and Daniel Corona) of signing their entire class last year, there’s a good opportunity to beat that this time around.
— The clear goal of the draft class was to go as big upside as possible. They got the best prep hitter in the draft, got another that was one of the youngest, and a mammoth 6’7″ two-way player. They supplemented that with depth pitching that could, if all pans out, help out in the bullpen at some point soon when the window opens up.
That would involve a lot going right, though. There are some interesting names on the pitching side of things, but they all seem to be puzzles that the development team have to piece together.
–Talking about projects, if Miguel Fulgencio ever makes the majors, that’s going to be one heck of a story to tell. Went to Oklahoma State to play football, transferred to Cowley County Community College to play in the outfield.
Used the pandemic shutdown to teach himself to pitch, off of YouTube nonetheless, and strung together a couple of decent seasons before being drafted. He’s already 23-years-old, so he’s way behind the prospect clock, and did commit to attend Oklahoma next season, but he’s an interesting player if only because of the road he’s traveled.
–Judging by their numbers, and some of the video I’ve seen, Josiah Sightler and Nick Cimillo are probably going to really enjoy any time they spend in Greensboro. Cimillo spent some time in the outfield to go along with his work behind the plate.
–Probably getting a little ahead of myself, but judging by the type of players the Pirates drafted, especially on the pitching side of things, depending on how many of them are going to be available, Bradenton’s bullpen is about to get a serious shakeup.
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Today: First Look At The Day Three Draft Picks
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Today: David Bednar Appears in the All-Star Game and 2022 Draft Overview
Yesterday: Day Three of the MLB Draft
Pirates Prospects Daily Articles
- The Pirates Wrapped Up Their Draft With Pitching, Including a 6′ 7″ Prep Pitcher
- Pirates Select RHP Joshua Loeschorn with Their 20th Round Pick
- Pirates Select Yoel Tejeda with Their 19th Round Pick
- Pirates Select RHP Elijah Birdsong with Their 18th Round Pick
- Pirates Select RHP Jaycob Deese with Their 17th Round Pick
- Pirates Select Catcher Nick Cimillo with Their 16th Round Pick
- Pirates Select First Baseman Josiah Sightler with Their 15th Round Pick
- Pirates Select LHP Julian Bosnic with Their 14th Round Pick
- Pirates Select LHP Miguel Fulgencio with Their 13th Round Pick
- Pirates Select RHP KC Hunt with Their 12th Round Pick
- Pirates Select LHP Dominic Perachi with Their 11th Round Pick
THIS WEEK ON PIRATES PROSPECTS
Williams: What it Takes to Go From the Draft to the Majors
Bubba Chandler is Overpowering Hitters With His Fastball
Rodolfo Castro is working on his defense to get back to Pittsburgh
WTM: The Pirates Definitely Aren’t Swingers