Pittsburgh Pirates Draft Pick News & Notes

The Pittsburgh Pirates

did an excellent job of recapping their draft picks.  The Bucs have gone once again for upside and have drafted some very difficult signs in the 2011 Draft.

It will be impossible to sign each of their picks, especially if Josh Bell were to sign, but with the international market light this season we expect the Pirates to drop some serious coin.

Here is the word from the mother ship.

Fifth Round:

Tyler Glasnow

RHP Hart (CA) High School

Where Bob Walk went to school.  Strike thrower Neal Huntington said.  Glasnow earned Foothill League Pitcher-of-the-Year honors with an 8-2 record, 1.25 ERA and 99 strikeouts in 67 innings. ..Wears a size 17 shoe… His fastball has reached the low 90s and can he throw three pitches for strikes. ….Is a product of same Hart High School baseball program that produced James Shields and 2011 third overall selection Trevor Bauer. …Is signed to play at the University of Portland.

Sixth Round

Dan Gamache   

3B    Auburn University

Hit .299 with 13 doubles, two triples, five home runs, 29 RBI and 35 runs scored as a junior…Hit .337 during his career at Auburn with 31 doubles, three triples, 16 home runs, 77 RBI, 97 runs, a .535 slugging percentage and .438 on-base percentage in his career…Hit .365 as a sophomore with 15 doubles, eight home runs and 37 runs scored.

Seventh Round

Jake Burnette   

RHP    Buford (GA) High School

Went 8-0 with a 1.72 ERA, six complete games and 80 strikeouts in 57.0 innings while helping to lead Buford to a state title as senior …Was also a standout basketball player (power forward) as a senior…As a junior in 2010, he had a 3-1 record, a 3.16 ERA and 31 strikeouts in 25 innings of work.…Earned Rawlings Underclass All-American Honorable Mention in 2010 …Was a three-year letterwinner in basketball …Is signed to play at Georgia Tech. … His brother Chase Burnette is currently an outfielder in Cleveland Indians organization.

Eighth Round

Jason Creasy   

RHP    Clayton (NC) High School
Helped lead Clayton High School to the Greater Neuse River 4-A Conference Championship in 2011 as a senior while also being named the league pitcher-of-the-year…Also signed a letter of intent with North Carolina State.

Ninth Round

Clay Holmes   

RHP    Slocumb (AL) High School

Is ranked as the 76th best pitching prospect and 140th best overall prospect by Baseball America. … Powered the Slocumb High School Red Tops to a runner-up finish in the class 3A Baseball Playoffs as a senior … Entered the second round of the playoffs with a 6-2 record and a 2.06 earned run average….Has struck out 84 batters and walked just 33 in 54 1/3 innings…In addition, he hit .351 with four homers and a team-high 32 RBI with Slocumb last season… During his junior year, Holmes went 11-5 for Slocomb last season, including 126 strikeouts in 89 innings of work…Signed to play baseball at Auburn University … Holmes, who carries a 4.0 grade point average and is Slocomb High School class valedictorian, was recognized by the state of Alabama Baseball Coaches Association as its Student-Athlete of the Year.

Tenth Round

Taylor Lewis   

OF    University of Maine-Orono

Was a team captain for the University of Maine’s baseball team as a junior…Finished the 2011 season batting .287 with three home runs, 28 RBI, a team-leading 44 runs scored and a team-high 20 stolen bases in 24 attempts.… In 2010 as a sophomore, was named to the American East First Team after leading the Black Bears with a .369 batting average, 53 runs scored and 52 RBI while also recording 14 doubles, five home runs and finished tied for second in the nation with 13 triples…Also swiped 21 of 22 bases on the season.

Eleventh Round

Jo-El Bennett-Lowe   

OF    Houston Academy (AL) High School

Signed to play with Troy State University…Profiles as an athletic outfielder that can play all three outfield positions while adding a combination of power and speed.

Twelfth Round

Candon Myles   

OF    South Grand Prairie (TX) HS
Played CF for South Grand Prairie (TX) HS, where he hit .495 and stole 45 bases in his senior year…Signed to play with Howard University.  Is the brother of Bryson Myles who was selected in this year’s draft by CLE in the 6th round out of Stephen F. Austin State University.

Thirteenth Round

Brandon Platts   

RHP    Mason City (IA) High School

Was a first-team all-state selection as a senior at Mason City High School, where he went 10-0 with  a 1.08 ERA…Signed to play with the University of Missouri…Is the first player from Mason City to be drafted since Newman Catholic’s Jason Anderegg was taken in the 19th round in the 2001 draft by the San Diego Padres.

Fourteenth Round

Jordan Dunatov   

OF    Horizon (AZ) High School

Hit .492 in his senior year at Horizon High School…Earned all-region honorable mention honors in 2009 and 2010…Batted .387 as a junior, tallying five home runs, nine doubles, a triple and 31 RBI…Hit .398 as a sophomore with three home runs, 11 doubles, two triples and 28 RBI…Signed to play at Oregon State…Also played basketball at Horizon High School.

Fifteenth Round

Kody Watts   

RHP    Skyview (WA) High School
Was a first-team Washington Coaches Association Class 4A selection as a senior…Was a Washington All-State Second Team selection as a junior after posting a 6-1 record, while shattering the school’s single-season strikeout record with 74 K’s…Also earned First-Team All Region as a junior…As a sophomore earned all-league honorable mention after going 3-1.