Pittsburgh Pirates 2020 Draft: A Look at a New Top 150 List

The scouting website MLB Pipeline recently updated their top 100 draft prospect list and expanded it to 150 prospects.  Who do they have ranked at the Pittsburgh Pirates spots?

Over the last few weeks, we have covered a lot of potential draft prospects for the Pittsburgh Pirates.  This year’s draft class is one of the most important in recent franchise history as it is Ben Cherington’s first class as General Manager.  Also, the team has three draft picks inside the top 45 selections, setting them up to add significant impact talent.  MLB Pipeline recently put out their updated top draft prospect list and expanded it to 150 total prospects.

The Pittsburgh Pirates first-round selection comes at number seven overall. At the seventh spot, MLB Pipeline has prep outfielder Zac Veen.  Veen might be the best pure hitter in the draft and definitely is in terms of high school hitters.  He is a projectable left-handed hitter who stands at 6’4”, which should give him plenty of power down the road.  He is committed to the University of Florida.

At number 31 MLB Pipeline has a college pitcher who I wrote about yesterday, Slade Cecconi.  Cecconi is a big, 6’4”, right-handed pitcher from the University of Miami.  He has a power fastball that has reached as high as 97 miles per hour in the past.  He also flashes plus secondary stuff, which gives him a good chance to make it as a starter.

The Pittsburgh Pirates final pick on the first day of the draft will come at 44th overall; this pick is the team’s second-round selection.  MLB Pipeline has starter, JT Ginn, as the 44th best prospect and this would be outstanding pick up for the Pittsburgh Pirates.  Ginn was once considered a potential top 10 pick and one of the best right-handed pitchers in the draft.  However, right before NCAA Baseball shutdown, it was reported that Ginn would undergo Tommy-John surgery.

This will ultimately cause Ginn to fall in the draft.  With the Pittsburgh Pirates having three picks inside the top 45 and the fifth highest draft bonus allotment, the team could get creative and take a chance on Ginn.  Cherington has talked about getting the best talent possible and Ginn would represent a high risk but high reward type prospect.

If the Pittsburgh Pirates exited day one of the 2020 MLB Draft with this haul of players, fans should be pleased.  The team would add one of the best pure hitting prospects in the draft while adding two projectable college arms.  The team could add the college arms to the trio of Quinn Priester, Brennan Malone, and Tahnaj Thomas to set up the future rotation for a lot of success.