Pittsburgh Pirates 2017 MLB Draft: 9th and 10th Round Picks

Day two of the 2017 MLB Draft finished up yesterday.   Teams made their round three to ten picks, and the Pirates selected two college players with their final two picks on the day.

In the ninth round, the Pirates selected their fourth outfielder in the draft, and their second college outfielder.  The club selected left-handed hitting Bligh Madris from Colorado Mesa.  The 6’2″ and 200 is only 21.

In 2017, Madris hit .422 with 17 home runs.  Furthermore he walked 45 times compared to just 30 strikeouts.  Madris also stole 14 bags in 18 attempts.  Being a ninth round pick, the odds area Madris won’t have much of an impact on the big league roster.  However, under Neal Huntington, some ninth round picks are Brock Holt, Brandon Cumpton, Clay Holmes, and Chad Kuhl.  Three of those four are pitchers, and pitchers are more likely to have an eventual impact on the club.  But if Madris provides speed and power, perhaps he can be a solid depth option if need be.

In the tenth round, the Pirates selected Beau Sulser, a right-handed pitcher from Dartmouth College.  Sulser is a fifth year senior, so if he signs it will be well below the slot value.  Pirates Prospects mentions this is what the Pirates did last year with their tenth round pick, Matt Anderson.

Sulser  pitched in seven games, starting all seven for the Ivy League school.  He posted a 1.40 ERA in 45.0 innings, and he had 54 strikeouts to 5 walks.  The Dartmouth athletic page mentions that,

“Ranked second in the nation in WHIP (0.80), third in ERA (1.40) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (10.40), and seventh in walks issued per nine innings (1.0).”

In the team’s final two picks of the day, the Pirates and Neal Huntington drafted two college players who should save money.  Madris is a bat, and could provide depth in the future.  Sulser was a college starter and reliever with control.  As a fifth year senior he has no leverage, and should sign well below the slot value.

Next: Pirates 8th Round Pick

Other notes

The Pirates focused on the college ranks in the second day.  The club took seven college players, five of them bats.  A high school arm who was believed to be a tough sign in Cody Bolton.  They also took two pitchers, both of who appear to be guys who will be below slot value.

The team signed first round pick Shane Baz.  More will be on the site later.