Pittsburgh Pirates: Two New Mock Are Drafts Out

The MLB Draft is just weeks away as it takes place June 4-6.  When June 4th comes around, the Pittsburgh Pirates will have the 10th overall pick in the draft.

With the MLB Draft becoming closer and closer, sites are starting to really press hard on throwing out mock drafts and info on potential prospects.  The Pittsburgh Pirates have the 10th overall pick in the draft this year, their highest since 2013.  Meanwhile, two of the best sites for draft coverage have put out updated mock drafts.  The first was done by Jonathan Mayo at MLB Pipeline.  Mayo, of course, normally has a good idea of what is going on in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.  He is on At&T Network every Sunday and is from the area.  The second mock comes from Baseball America.

MLB Pipeline

MLB Pipeline had a mock draft a few weeks ago where they had the Pittsburgh Pirates taking a prep outfielder named Jarred Kelenic.  Kelenic is considered one of the top prep outfielders in the draft.  He has had limited exposure compared to most prospects playing in Wisconsin.  However, Mayo has the Pittsburgh Pirates looking in a different direction now.  Mayo believes the Pittsburgh Pirates may look at a prep righty by the name of Cole Winn from Orange Lutheran High School in California.  Here is what Mayo had to say on the pick:

“We’ve been leaning toward a high school bat with this pick, as both Jim and I previously put prep outfielder Jarred Kelenic here, but the Pirates never shy away from high school arms, and Winn has been as consistent as any in the country.”

Baseball America

Meanwhile, Baseball America has the Pittsburgh Pirates looking in a different direction.  They actually have the Bucs looking at the prep outfielder Kelenic.  As mentioned earlier, the guys at MLB Pipeline also had him connected to the Pittsburgh Pirates at one point. Baseball America is a subscription site, so here is some of their analysis on why they think that is a potential pick.

“The Pirates have shown a penchant for athletic outfielders, so Swaggerty makes some sense here, but Kelenic has more upside as a pure hitter and has a comparable package of overall tools.”

Next: Big Night For Starters

If you want more info and are a subscriber to the site, there is a video on what makes Kelenic a potential pick at number 10.  While Kelenic has a lot of upside it seems unlikely.  The Pittsburgh Pirates invested two of their top picks last year on prep outfielders.  Although they also spent their top pick on a prep pitcher in Shane Baz.  If anything, it may seem likely the team just uses their pick on the best available option on their board, which is the smart thing to do.

Click links to view full mock drafts