The Pittsburgh Pirates wrapped up the 2022 MLB draft with ten more picks on day three.
For every pick in the draft so far, check out our new Draft page, which you can also find linked in the site’s menu. Below are the day three picks, with links to their articles and player pages. Check below for a breakdown of the guys drafted on day three.
11: Dominic Perachi | Player Page
12: KC Hunt | Player Page
13: Miguel Fulgencio | Player Page
14: Julian Bosnic | Player Page
15: Josiah Sightler | Player Page
16: Nick Cimillo | Player Page
17: Jaycob Deese | Player Page
18: Elijah Birdsong | Player Page
19: Yoel Tejeda | Player Page
20: Joshua Loeschorn | Player Page
Potential Over-Slot Deals
The Pirates only drafted three prep players in this draft, while also taking one JuCo player. I don’t think they will have much slot savings from their day one picks, with most of their savings coming from the 5th-10th rounders.
On day three, the Pirates took two guys who might require over-slot deals.
The first was 13th rounder Miguel Fulgencio, a left-handed pitcher from the JuCo ranks who has a commitment to Oklahoma. Fulgencio throws 93-96 with an average slider, and was Baseball America’s 289th best prospect in the draft.
Perhaps a more difficult sign will be 19th rounder Yoel Tejeda. The prep pitcher turned 19 a few weeks ago, and stands at 6′ 7″, 210 pounds. He’s a two-way player in high school, also playing first base. The Pirates like the right-hander’s ability on the mound, announcing him as a pitcher. He throws low-90s, touching 97, and was ranked 372nd in this draft by Baseball America.
Summer Ball Success
The Pirates had the fourth pick in this draft, which means they had the fourth pick on day three. The 11th round pick isn’t always the highest upside or most notable pick in the current bonus pool system. However, that player is notable for the fact that the team prioritized them first on day three.
The Pirates took Dominic Perachi, a left-handed pitcher from Salve Regina University. Perachi may be a late bloomer from a small school. He had solid numbers his junior year, with a 1.00 ERA and a 15.1 K/9. He followed that with strong results in summer ball.
Perachi is a left-handed pitcher — one of six drafted by the Pirates this year, with three going on day three. He can reach 93 MPH, has a projectable 6′ 4″, 195 pound frame, and pairs the fastball with a curve and changeup.
KC Hunt, drafted one round later, seems like a similar story. Hunt didn’t see much action on the mound at Mississippi State. His overall numbers were poor during his junior season, outside of 32 strikeouts in 25.1 innings. Like Perachi, Hunt went to play summer ball this year, and fared much better. He had a 2.65 ERA and a 13.8 K/9 in his limited looks.
Hunt throws 93-94 with a slider that can generate swings and misses. He has worked as a reliever, and due to having fewer than 50 innings in college, he’s likely to stay in that role.
In both cases, the Pirates drafted guys who look much more impressive when you factor their recent summer ball performances into the mix.
The College Seniors
There were six college seniors taken by the Pirates on day three, adding to two others in the top ten rounds.
This group will likely move faster through the system, providing depth for the A-ball teams immediately, with a few possibly working their way to Altoona next year. The odds of getting a future MLB prospect from this group is slim. What you want to see for hope in that regard is a standout tool.
For 15th round first baseman Josiah Sightler, that tool is power. He had 15 home runs and a .329 ISO as a senior at South Carolina, giving a boost over his previous power production.
In the very next round, the Pirates added catcher Nick Cimillo, who also hit for an impressive amount of power after transferring to Rutgers as a senior. Prior to that, Cimillo played three years at Manhattan College.
Julian Bosnic, taken in the 14th round, is another left-handed pitcher. He’s an interesting case in that he is currently planning to transfer to Arkansas as a fifth-year senior. Bosnic missed the 2022 season with a flexor strain in his elbow, which required surgery in April. He didn’t pitch much in 2020, and threw 50.2 innings with good numbers in 2021. Bosnic isn’t necessarily the highest upside guy from this group, but he has the most leverage.
The Pirates took right-handed pitching college seniors with three of their final four picks.
Jaycob Deese, taken in the 17th round, has mostly worked as a starter, with unimpressive numbers. He may fare better in a move to relief, working with his low-90s fastball and slider combo.
18th rounder Elijah Birdsong hasn’t played much in his college career after missing his junior year with Tommy John. He struggled his senior year, but the lack of pitching prior to this makes him less experienced than other college seniors.
The final pick of the draft was Joshua Loeschorn, who has a lot of pitching experience in college, including summer ball heading into the 2022 draft. The Pirates love guys who play summer ball. Loeschorn throws 88-92 with a slider and a change. He’s mostly worked as a starter, and could fill innings in the younger A-ball rotations.
