Pirates Take Jonathan Sandfort: Video & Scouting Reports

The Pittsburgh Pirates selected 6’5″ right handed pitcher Jon Sandfort with their third round pick.

The big righty has a commitment to the University of Florida, but his love for fishing could have him fitting right in with the Bucs fishing fanatics like James McDonald, Neil Walker, A.J. Burnett and Daniel McCutchen. Sandfort once landed a 30-pound red snapper while he fished in the Florida Keys.

In that same article, Sandfort had this to say about the draft:

“I’m going to think about what’s going to be the best route for me to get to the major leagues,” Sandfort said. “It will depend on what kind of farm system they have, what kind of coaching they have.”

He is 220-pounds and the projectible righty looks like the perfect Pittsburgh Pirates prep selection.

“I can’t really control anything that happens,” Sandfort said. “I’m just going in with the mindset that I’m going to play baseball somewhere, for sure.”

Sandfort put up a 0.92 ERA and punched out 73 bad guys in just 68.2 innings.   He has hit 94 MPH with his fastball, but it typically sits 88-91 MPH.  Scouts feel he needs more power on his curveball.  He was rated the 255th best prospect in the draft by Baseball America.  Minor League Ball rated him the 65th best high school right hander.

John Manuel of Baseball America magazine said this about Sandfort:

“He finished with a flourish. He’s got a fastball in the mid-90s and has a 50-50 shot at going in the first three rounds.”

We still are digging up baseball video….if you find any send us a link….

Football highlights are all we could find, but heh he has some serious escapability around the :45 second mark….  I bet Pirates GM Neal Huntington absolutely adores this guy, if you remember he raved about two-and-three-sport athletes on the most recent podcast.