Pirates Pick John Raynor in Rule 5

John Raynor at Baseball Reference

John Raynor Future Star?  Bleacher Report  The kid can score some runs.

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Baseball America said this about Raynor:  It’s worth elaborating that Raynor posted just a .687 OPS at Triple-A New Orleans, with 19 stolen bases, after posting an .890 OPS with 48 steals in 2008 at Double-A Carolina. Still, Raynor has top-shelf speed and experience at upper levels, with a chance for some upside.

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Future Fish had this to say while worrying about the increase in strikeouts as he climbed the ladder:

"The Marlins drafted John Raynor in the 9th round of the 2006 draft out of UNC-Wilmington. Known more for being a good athlete than a good hitter, Raynor had a solid professional debut at Jamestown in 2006. He has fantastic speed (6.3 in the 60) and uses it well on the base paths. A tough out at the plate, his splits don’t change against righties or lefties. He is solid against both types of pitchers. He has a good, short stroke allowing the bat to stay in the zone longer and allows him to make solid contact on the ball. Raynor is a fantastic bunter, and would rather keep the ball on the ground and try to beat out infield singles than swing for the fences anyway. He doesn’t have a strong arm, but he’s still considered plus defensively with the glove.In 2007, Raynor was a dynamo atop Greensboro’s lineup. He led the South Atlantic League in runs (110) and was second in both batting average and stolen bases, while being third in on base percentage. John also took home league MVP honors. After swinging and missing at a lot of pitches in his 2006 pro debut, Raynor developed a better feel for the strike zone and worked deeper counts this season. He showed much plate discipline this year, and showed more power to the gaps than he had in his rookie year of pro ball."