Pittsburgh Pirates 2021 Mock Draft 1.0: Night 1 is 3 Weeks Out

Pittsburgh Pirates First Round, Pick Number 1 Overall

Marcelo Mayer, California Prep Shortstop

This has been the pick for a few weeks now.  The Pittsburgh Pirates are in an unfortunate situation of there not being a “slam-dunk” number one pick.  In years past there were the likes of Casey Mize, Gerrit Cole, and Stephen Strasburg.  However, there just simply is not a prospect in the draft that represents that.

Still this does not mean there are not quality players to be have.  Mayer checks all the boxes you look for in a top prospect.  He has five tool potential, with an above average bat and the athleticism to stay at shortstop.  Put that together with that fact that he is a left-handed hitter and he has real chance to be an impact shortstop and bat.

Just a month ago Mayer’s name started to surpass the likes of Jack Leiter and Jordan Lawlar.  At one time, those two were viewed as the best the high school class had to offer.  However, with scouting being so limited last year and certain states being close down more than others, certain players did not get a chance to really impress until this season.  This can be said for Mayer, who comes from California, a state that was very much locked down.

Mayer now ranks as the top available prospect on FanGraphs and MLB Pipeline.  This should tell you all you need to know.  Both of these sites are two of the best resources for Draft prospects.  The site’s experts would not have Mayer at the number one spot if they did not see him as a legitimate big time potential.