Grading the Pittsburgh Pirates 2020 Draft

The Pittsburgh Pirates 2020 draft is complete, now it’s time to dive into how Ben Cherington did in his first draft as Pirates’ general manager

Ben Cherington’s first year as general manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates has been anything but normal. This included the 2020 MLB Draft, which consisted of just five rounds over the course of Wednesday and Thursday nights. However, this did not stop Cherington from making his first draft with the Pirates a successful one.

The Pittsburgh Pirates entered the draft with an underrated farm system that was on the rise. Looking to add talent to said farm system, Cherington was successful in the draft. This began with the team’s pick at number seven overall.

With the 7th overall pick in the draft the Pirates selected New Mexico State infielder Nick Gonzales. Prior to the draft Gonzales was almost universally viewed as a top five player in the draft, and arguably the best all-around college hitter on the board. Surprisingly, he fell to number seven. This made selecting him a no brainer move for Cherington.

Gonzales led the NCAA in batting in 2019. He then followed that up with a MVP season in the Cape Cod League. Gonzles will likely become a top 100 prospect in baseball and be on the fast track to the Major Leagues.

With their compensation pick at number 31 the Pittsburgh Pirates chose another high ceiling player in University of South Carolina pitch Carmen Mlodzinski. Like Gonzales, Mlodzinski was lights out in the Cape Cod League last year. While there are some questions about his control and ability to repeat his delivery, some teams had him as a top 10-20 talent in the draft for a reason.

This then takes us to day two of the draft. Kicking off day two the Pittsburgh Pirates selected right-handed pitcher Jared Jones out of Whittier, California. Jones is currently committed to the University of Texas, but the Pirates are likely going to be able to sign him.

Jones could find himself higher among pitcher pitching prospects than even Mlodzinski. His stuff is nothing short of electric, including terrific spin rate numbers.

While Jones is a ways away from the MLB level, look for him to quickly become one of the team’s top pitching prospects. This pick could prove to be one of the biggest steals in the draft.

If Jones was not the steal of the draft for the Pirates, then 4th round pick Nick Garcia was. Prior to the draft there were teams who had Garcia as a 1st round talent and the Pirates got him in the 4th round.

They drafted the right-handed pitcher out of Chapman University. To be honest, Garcia has a higher floor than Mlodzinski, even if his ceiling is not quite as high. Garcia may also have the ability to climb through the team’s minor league system quicker. Garcia was another draft pick, like Gonzales and Jones, that gets an A grade.

In round four, the Pirates selected Appalachian State right-handed pitcher Jack Hartman. While Hartman’s ceiling is not as high as some others in this class, he does have the make up of potentially being a shut down back end of the bullpen arm. Those are always important.

Additionally on Hartman, the team will likely be able to sign him to an under slot deal. This will give them more money to have at their disposal when negotiating with other draft picks, specifically Jones.

With their final pick of the draft, the Pittsburgh Pirates selected another right-handed college pitcher. With the 138th overall pick in the draft the Bucs selected Northwestern State product Logan Hofmann. Hofmann was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals last year but did not sign. In his shortened college season this spring he was dominant striking out 38 batters and posting a 0.00 ERA in 28 innings of work. Yes, a 0.00 ERA.

Hofmann also pitched in the Cape Cod League last summer. Pitching to the tune of a 3.54 ERA to go with 27 strikeouts in 20.1 innings of work, he earned Cape Cod League All-Star honors. Once again, Cherington made it obvious he valued college players and Cape Cod League experience in this draft.

Leaning on Cape Cod League success was a savvy move by Cherington due to all of the circumstances surrounding this year’s draft. Full scouting reports were going to be difficult to come by since there has not been any college or high school baseball played since March. So, leaning on how players performed when facing the stiffest competition they have ever faced when playing in the Cape Cod League was a smart decision by Cherington and his staff.

Smartly, the Pittsburgh Pirates went draft and college heavy in this draft. Five of their six draft picks were pitchers, and four of those five were college players. Their lone non-pitcher, Gonzaels, was also a college player.

Right now the Pirate farm system is lacking talent at the upper levels. Drafting college players that will be on a faster track to the Majors will help with this. Additionally, the farm system had a much bigger need for arms than bats. So, going pitcher heavy was a smart move by Cherington and his scouting department.

Cherington’s first draft as general manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates may not have been a normal one, but, on paper at least, it sure looks like a successful one. The Pirates added multiple players with high ceilings and near limitless potential, which is not something you could say about recent drafts. Cherington’s first draft as Pirate GM appears to be one that could help set up the franchise for a lot of future success.