With their sixth round pick in the 2022 MLB draft, the Pittsburgh Pirates selected right-handed pitcher Derek Diamond out of Ole Miss.
Diamond was not ranked among the top 250 prospects for MLB Pipeline, but Baseball America had him as the 210th best prospect, about a full round off of the 170th spot, where he was selected. He was drafted out of high school in the 40th round in 2019. BA says that at times he looked like a much better prospect, with a fastball that reached 97 MPH and an above average slider, but most of this year he sat 89-92 MPH and the slider did not impress. He’s a strike-thrower, who isn’t afraid to go after hitters. He does not have strong results in his three years of college and this year was his worst, with a 6.89 ERA in 65.1 innings. The Pirates must be banking on a return to his better stuff, but even last year he had a 5.65 ERA in 75.1 innings when he was flashing his best pitches.
