Could the Pittsburgh Pirates Draft a Prep Outfielder at Number 44?

The Pittsburgh Pirates have three draft picks inside the top 45 picks of this year’s MLB Draft.  This puts the team in a good spot to add some significant talent.

Yesterday, we took a look at how much money the Pittsburgh Pirates will be allocated for their 2020 Draft.  The team ranks fifth in overall bonus allotment thanks to having three picks inside the top 45 overall selections.  The Pittsburgh Pirates have the seventh, the 31st, and the 44th picks overall on the first day the draft.

Logically, a lot of time has been spent on looking at who the Pittsburgh Pirates could take with the seventh overall pick.  However, who could the Pittsburgh Pirates consider with their second round pick at number 44?  It is really hard to predict.  The draft class rankings rapidly change, it is hard to project what players will be available, and, in general, how the earlier picks could influence the pick at number 44.  As I mentioned in yesterday’s article about the bonus allotment, the Bucs will be in a really good situation to get creative with their bonus pool money.

Instead of trying to project who the Pittsburgh Pirates could take with their second-round pick, let’s take a look at who is ranked at number 44 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 100.   As of right now, the team at MLB Pipeline has California prep outfielder Petey Halpin at the spot.  He is a very projectable, standing at 6’0” and weighing around 180 pounds.

Haplin is a left-handed hitter but is a right-handed thrower.  Apparently he has clocked as high as 92 on radar guns off the mound, showing he has a strong arm.  That strong arm along with below-average athleticism is why he projects best as a corner outfielder.  Here is more from MLB Pipeline on Halpin:

“He makes loud contact consistently from the left side of the plate and while he’s hit over power now, he’s shown the ability to drive the ball and was launching balls out at Angels Stadium this fall during the Angels Elite showcase”

MLB Pipeline currently has their top 100 rankings out but will be releasing their top 200 soon; their rankings will be updated so Halpin may not be ranked at number 44 when that list is released.  While the Pirates should always draft the best players possible, Ben Cherington could have an opportunity to add a top pitcher, infielder, and outfielder with the team owning three selections inside the top 45 picks.