1 MLB Draft target Pirates should watch from each major conference tournament

Postseason play is here for college baseball, and before the big NCAA Tournament gets underway, teams will play in their conference tournaments. Although there are some great teams all around the country, the overall competition in the four major conferences is significantly better.

These four conferences will see multiple teams make the big tournament, while some of the smaller conferences require a victory in their tournament to earn an automatic bid. Given how much talent will be playing in these four conference tournaments, let's take a look at one star from each major conference that the Pirates should be watching out for ahead of the 2025 MLB Draft.

The Pirates should pay attention to these four college players from each major conference tournament this week ahead of MLB Draft.

ACC: Marek Houston, Wake Forest

Wake Forest is the eighth seed in the ACC Tournament and will play their first game on Wednesday at 9 AM. Although they are not the best team in their conference, they have the best player to keep an eye on. Marek Houston, the 12th-ranked prospect according to MLB Pipeline, has put together an impressive season and may be climbing draft boards.

The 21-year-old shortstop has put together an excellent junior season and could be the Pirates' first-round pick. Houston finished the regular season with a .349 batting average and a wRC+ of 131. He belted 12 home runs, stole 19 bases, and put together a 1.028 OPS.

His scouting grades from MLB Pipeline are: Hit: 50 | Power: 45 | Run: 55 | Arm: 55 | Field: 60 | Overall: 55.

Big 10: Devin Taylor, Indiana

Indiana is the sixth seed for the Big Ten Tournament, and played their first game on Tuesday at 2 PM. Indiana's star outfielder Devin Taylor is the 21st overall prospect for the draft, per MLB Pipeline. Although the Pirates pick at No. 6, this could be an interesting potential underslot selection, which would allow them to nab the player mentioned below from the SEC with their second-rounder.

Taylor is putting together an outstanding season. He is batting .366 with a 163 wRC+ and a 1.173 OPS. He also belted 16 home runs, stole 12 bases, and drove in 60 runs during the regular season. He walks at a 19.7% rate and strikes out at just a 10.8% clip. He has had an OPS over 1.000 in each of his three seasons in college, and struck out at a rate below 20% in each. He's been consistently a strong hitter and could be an underrated pickup for the Pirates.

His scouting grades from MLB Pipeline are: Hit: 55 | Power: 60 | Run: 45 | Arm: 45 | Field: 45 | Overall: 50.

Big 12: Nolan Schubart, Oklahoma State

Oklahoma State is the seventh seed and will play their first game at 4 PM on Wednesday. The Big 12 Conference does not have many ranked prospects this year, and the top one is Nolan Schubart at 98 on MLB Pipeline. He won't be a first-rounder to watch, but he could be an option come the third or fourth round.

Schubart is having somewhat of a down year in comparison to last season. In 2024, he put together a 192 wRC+ with 23 home runs and an 1.351 OPS. He still hasn't been half bad this season, though, belting 17 home runs with a 132 wRC+ and a 1.044 OPS. He has typically struck out at a high rate, but the number sits at a comparatively low 25.2% this year.

His scouting grades from MLB Pipeline are: Hit: 45 | Power: 60 | Run: 30 | Arm: 40 | Field: 30 | Overall: 45.

SEC, Andrew Fischer, Tennessee

Tennessee is the eighth seed and will play on Wednesday morning at 10:30 AM. They always have a star, and this year, it's a big-named southpaw in Liam Doyle. The Pirates should not be after him, though, and should instead go for his teammate in Andrew Fischer, the 35th overall prospect in the draft. It may seem difficult to secure him at pick 50, but when the Pirates selected Henry Davis first in 2021, they were able to land MLB Pipeline's 17th- and 21st-ranked prospects in Anthony Solometo and Bubba Chandler with their CBA and second-round picks.

This strategy could work if they go underslot and save bonus money with their first-rounder. The infielder is having an incredible year with 22 home runs, a wRC+ of 164, and an OPS of 1.281. He walks at an incredible 22.5% clip and strikes out at a low 13.7% rate. He is an excellent left-handed bat to pursue and the Pirates would be very lucky to land him.

His scouting grades from MLB Pipeline are: Hit: 50 | Power: 60 | Run: 40 | Arm: 55 | Field: 45 | Overall: 50.