Pirates Draft Reese McGuire With the 14th Overall Pick

With the 14th pick in the 2013 MLB draft the Pittsburgh Pirates selected prep catcher Reese McGuire. All of the final mock drafts that came out today had McGuire going to the Pirates with the 9th pick, but the Pirates opted to go with Austin Meadows. Earlier this week I talked with Jim Callis of Baseball America on the Pirates Prospects Podcast about McGuire. Callis noted that he would be the best catching prospect in the system, and has the potential to be an All-Star catcher in the majors.

The big concern with prep catchers is whether they can stick behind the plate. McGuire has the tools to stick behind the plate in the long-term, with above average receiving and blocking skills, and a plus arm. He also calls his own games.

The question about McGuire is whether he can hit. There is no real consensus on that subject. Keith Law was down on his future as a hitter, while Callis noted that he does have the potential to hit in the majors. The Pirates must be on the side that feels McGuire has what it takes to hit in the majors. Baseball America said that he shows the tools to be an above-average pure hitter with average power. He’s also left-handed, so he should benefit from playing in PNC Park.

More on McGuire:

• Rated as the 5^th best position player and 12^th best overall in the draft by Baseball America.
• Rated as the second-best defensive player among high school players.
• Hit .436 with 13 doubles, three triples, four home runs and 20 RBI this year as a senior at Kentwood High School in Covington, Washington.
• 2013 Rawlings First-Team pre-season All-American
• Named the 2012-13 Gatorade Washington Baseball Player of the Year. Was the first Gatorade Washington Baseball Player of the Year chosen from Kentwood.
• Led his high school team to a 21-5 record and the Class 4A semifinals in 2013.
• Won USA Baseball’s Dick Case Award in 2013.
• Played on the USA 18U team that won the gold medal at the IBAF 18U World Championship in 2012 in South Korea. Hit .400 with four doubles, 11 RBI, .522 OBP and .514 slugging percentage in the tournament while leading the team in batting average, OBP, slugging percentage, hits RBI and walks.
• In 2012 he was a First-Team All-State selection. He was also ranked the No. 7 player in the nation by Perfect Game USA and MaxPreps.com.

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