In his first mock draft, Keith Law picked high school SS/3B Cornelius Randolph for the Pittsburgh Pirates, a name that has been associated with them often. He also said they could be in on big RHP Cody Ponce from Cal Poly Pomona or Virginia outfielder Joe McCarthy, two names there are rumors that the Pirates are high on. The latter two players could be possibilities with the team’s 32nd overall pick at this point, as one or both should be available there.
For his second mock draft, released on Thursday for Insiders, Law says that the Pirates could still go after a high upside bat like Randolph, but he predicts that they will take talented prep outfielder Daz Cameron. This is the first time I’ve seen Cameron this low, and I’ve actually seen him a few times in the top five, so this would be a big deal if he fell to the Pirates.
Cameron went seventh in Law’s previous mock draft and hasn’t done anything on the field to hurt his rankings since then, so you have to wonder just what Law has heard to drop him 12 spots. There have been a bunch of players shooting up the draft boards lately(Tyler Jay, Tyler Stephenson, Andrew Benintendi), so dropping 2-3 spots wouldn’t be a surprise, and maybe a couple more if you’re looking for a good fit with a certain team. MLB Pipeline has Cameron ranked #12 overall and Baseball America ranks him fifth, though BA seems to be going off a scouting report that has him ranked much better defensively.
The possibility of getting Cameron has to be exciting for Pirates fans, but it’s not something you should get your hopes up for just yet. He could be gone much earlier in the draft. Cameron projects to be a center fielder that hits for both average and some power. He has above-average speed and a good arm, which most say should keep him in center field, but he won’t be anything like his dad. He is the son of long-time Major League center fielder Mike Cameron, who was one of the best defensive center fielders during his playing days. The younger Cameron turned 18 back in January. I’ve included a video below courtesy of Baseball Factory. The first day of the draft is 11 days away.
