Pittsburgh Pirates: Three More Potential Second-Round Picks

We’ve focused heavily on the Pittsburgh Pirates having the first overall pick in this summer’s draft but let’s take another look at some potential second-round picks for the team in this upcoming draft

The Pittsburgh Pirates have the number one overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft. They’ll have free reign over who they get to select with their first-round draft pick. We’ve done plenty of coverage on potential first overall selections. Right now, it’s a pretty close race between Vanderbilt pitcher Jack Leiter and top high school prospect shortstop Jordan Lawlar. However, Marcelo Mayer also can not be completely ruled out.

The Pittsburgh Pirates will also have the 37th overall pick in the second-round. We’ve already covered some potential second-round selections. We took a look at three potential second-round picks here before while also exploring the possibility of Jaden Hill falling to the 37th pick, but there are plenty of other candidates the Bucs could choose with that selection.

With that, I want to take a look at a few more potential prospects the team could pick with that second-round pick.

Maddux Bruns

Maddux Bruns is a left-handed pitcher out of UMS-Wright High School in Alabama. Maddux may be one of the most impressive left-handed pitchers in the entire draft this year. The 18-year-old, who will turn 19 on June 20th, currently stands at 6’2″, 205 pounds, and has all the tools you’d want from a young pitcher.

MLB Pipeline grades out four pitches. Two of which have a 60-grade. His four-seam fastball was topping out in the upper-90s, reaching into the 97-98 MPH range. He usually sits in the mid-90 MPH range and has shown some late-life with the offering. Bruns has shown the ability to work both sides of the plate with it, while also flashing “heavy life down in the zone” as described by his Perfect Game report.

His other 60-grade offering is his slider. This pitch sits in the 83-85 MPH range and has some tilt with it. The third pitch Brusn throws is another pitch with the potential to be another above-average offering. His curveball comes in with a 55-grade. This is a 12-6 curve that comes in around the mid-70s, making the difference between his four-seam fastball and curveball about a whopping 20 MPH difference. He’ll also throw a changeup into the mix and while it’s his least used offering, it has a 50-grade, giving him a four-pitch mix that all are projected to be average or better offerings.

Bruns does have some control issues at times. He only has a 40 control grade on Pipeline which could arise some concern. However, his mechanics which include a three-quarters arm slot, compact arm, short stride out front, and being able to stay balanced (per Perfect Game) are promising.

Overall, while his control is spotty at best, he’s still very young. Plus it would be extremely hard to pass up on a lefty pitcher who throws in the mid-to-upper 90s, has a four-pitch mix, and a four-pitch mix where all offerings are considered average or better.

Max Muncy

Not to be confused with the Los Angeles Dodgers infielder of the same name, this Max Muncy is an 18-year-old from Thousand Oaks California entering the draft. Muncy is primarily a shortstop and stands at 6’1″, 180 pounds.

Muncy is considered a well-rounded player. He has a 50-grade for his hit, field, run, and arm tools. However, he’s considered to have some pop in his bat with a 55-grade power tool by Pipeline. MLB Pipeline gave his offensive ceiling a comparison to former four-time MLB All-Star Ian Kinsler. They also drew comparisons to Atlanta Braves’ shortstop Dansby Swanson with more power potential.

Though Muncy is a good hitter his approach can lead to some strikeouts. Swings and misses are his biggest problem, but not one that can’t be fixed in the future. He’s still 18 and won’t turn 19 until the end of August, and it’s not uncommon for such a young player to have some issues with swings and misses.

Overall, he has the tools to stick at shortstop. He’s considered an average runner with an average glove and a strong enough arm to remain at the middle infield position. However, he may end up at second base, third base, or an outfield position. Overall, shortstops are the most athletic player on the field so if the Pirates did draft him and he didn’t end up at shortstop long term, they’d be able to find a spot for him somewhere on the diamond. It would also give the Pirates another power hitter to the system, something that would definitely help.