Pittsburgh Pirates 2020 Draft: A Look at Baseball America’s Top 400

The Pittsburgh Pirates have three picks inside the top 45 selections in this year’s draft.  Here is who they could take with those picks based on Baseball America’s new rankings.

Over the last few months, we have spent time looking at prospects that the Pittsburgh Pirates could take with some of their top draft picks.  Today, Baseball America released their updated top 400 draft prospect board, this is their latest installment which will eventually be expanded to 500 prospects.  They also updated the rankings for players with some moving up the board and others falling.

The Pittsburgh Pirates and Ben Cherington have three very important picks on the first day of the 2020 draft.  They have the seventh, 31st, and 44th overall selections to start off their 2020 draft.  This should set them up to bring in several top-end prospects, something that the Pittsburgh Pirates organization could use.

Who does Baseball America project as the seventh best player available?  Prep outfielder Zac Veen.  Veen is considered one of, if not the, best prep bats in the 2020 class.  He is a left-handed hitting outfielder who shows raw power and good bat-to-ball skills.  Furthermore, he is physically projectable, standing at 6’5” and weighing around 200 pounds.  This should set him up to have some of the best power potential in the minor leagues.

At number 31 overall Baseball America ranks college shortstop Alika Williams.  Williams plays for the Arizona State Sun Devils and has raised his stock since the last update when he ranked number 34.  Williams is a 6’2”, right-handed shortstop who has a good overall game.  He has solid gap power, and with a 6’2” frame has the potential to add more pop.  He is considered an above-average fielder and should stick at shortstop.  The best thing about shortstops are they usually have the ability to play strong defense in multiple positions, so the team would have flexibility with him.

After the pick at number 31, the Bucs will quickly be back on the board at number 44, with their second-round selection.  At number 44 overall Baseball America has ranked a two-way prep player.  Masyn Winn is a prep player from Texas who is listed as a shortstop and a right-handed pitcher.  He stands at 5’11” and 180 pounds, which likely limits his ceiling as a pitcher.  Still, he has a fastball that sits in the mid-90s.  As a hitter he projects to be a potential 20-20 guy, he has plus raw power and plus speed.  With his size and frame, he may have to move to third base, where his arm would play anyhow.