2013 MLB Draft for the Pittsburgh Pirates: Focus

The Pittsburgh Pirates have a huge opportunity tonight.  Let’s trust they don’t botch it.  The team will need productive big time producers with their two picks today.  It’s pretty exciting to think about just who they will add to the roster.

Neal Huntington has stated that he is moving into a different type of role this season.  He didn’t travel as much as he has in the past, which was quite extensive for a GM, and has instead spent time asking the difficult questions.  It sounds like a lot more eyes are on this draft.  That’s a good thing for the Pirates.

The team has invested in some talented scouts and it will be pretty cool to analyze what players they take today and tomorrow in the 2013 draft.

Every year we have done some exhaustive work on the MLB Draft.  It’s such a crap shoot.   This year we won’t be doing as much on the front end.  We have just too much going on in life right now, but I wanted to post what we think of some of the players that might be of interest to the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Most of them are familar names.

We first looked closely at the catcher position.  High school catchers have been discussed religiously around the internets in the days leading up to the draft.  It’s of special interest seeing that Neil Walker and Jason Kendall were high school catchers.

Catcher:   Jon Denney.   Reese McGuire.  HS

We like Jon Denney more than we like Reese McGuire.   We really don’t see it any other way.

From everything we have heard, the Pirates like McGuire and he might be their pick at the nine spot if things shake down as expected.  Denney’s swing and plus arm does it for us, and we bet the gun of McGuire does it for the Bucs.  (It certainly can’t be that really busy power seeking swing can it?)  McGuire is damn good, he just won’t be as good as Denney.  It looks like Denney might last until late in the first round.

Third base:  D.J. Peterson.  New Mexico

Peterson has been swooned over by the Buccos throughout the spring.  If he is available at number 14, we can see them pulling the trigger.  Hell, they could take him at nine based on some of the moves they have made in the past.

Other names the Bucs (and most teams) like tonight:  Austin Meadows HS

Meadows is a great athlete in the 1B/OF category with big time potential.  He ran a 6.31 at Perfect Game National.

Dominic Smith is interesting for us as a high school talent.  The Pirates don’t have many connections which makes me think their heart is set on other players.  (UPDATE:  We now see, Keith Law has the Bucs on Smith)

Smith will likely go in the middle of the first.  Some services see him moving quickly through the minors due to his strong bat.  (Heh, we love anyone named Smith)

Flyers:

Tim Anderson has been a hot name out of E. Central Mississippi JC.   If the shortstop were around on day two we wouldn’t be disappointed or surprised to see the Bucs grab him.

Oregon’s Ryon Healy will probably be on the board should the Bucs be interested in a very consistent player among the PAC-12 elite.  Reminds me a bit of an Alex Dickerson type.

Local PA talent gets picked when?  Well, we don’t have a Matt Adams for you like we nailed back in the day.  God it sucks the Bucs didn’t take a flyer.  But anyway it’s hard to imagine a Pennsylvania player being taken before the fifth, maybe sixth round.  A.J. Bogucki out of Boyertown is a good guess.