Pittsburgh Pirates Draft: Three New College Draft Picks to Follow

The Pittsburgh Pirates just finished up the 2021 Major League Baseball Draft.  How did they do with some of the other picks?

This year’s Draft class was quite a haul for the Pittsburgh Pirates. If you do not know that at this then you have some catching up to do.  Say what you will about the Buc’s ownership and past, but this new Front Office has put a plan in place and seem to be executing it near perfect.  Yes, rankings only mean so much, development of these prospects means just as much if not more.  However, let’s give the new regime a chance.

Pittsburgh Pirates fans are already seeing the quality of the farm system that Ben Cherington has put together.  Understand he has never changed the course, he said that this team needed more talent in the minor leagues to be competitive.  They have done that part, and those pieces are already producing in the minors.  The target year has always been 2023, nothing has changed from the day the new regime took over.

So how can the 2021 Draft class impact that time frame? Well, first and foremost there are a lot of ways that they could.  Whether it be a player shooting up the system quickly like Henry Davis, or to help sustain the window of winning into 20224, 2025, and beyond.  However, the other way kind of goes along with the thought process of the first idea, college players have a chance to move quickly.

The Bucs did not take as many college players as they did in the 2020 Draft, but they still did use 14 of their picks on college players.  A lot of this was due to trying to save money for some of the bigger bonus prospects.  However, they did grab some intriguing college prospects as well.  The question is which of those college prospects could help this team sooner rather than later?

Pittsburgh Pirates 8th Round Pick: Sean Sullivan, Right-Handed Pitcher

The Pittsburgh Pirates used their 8th round pick on right-handed pitcher Sean Sullivan. A product of the University of California, Berkeley, Sullivan put up solid numbers in his final year in college. Through his final 78.1 innings, Sullivan had a 3.68 ERA, 3.14 FIP, and 1.277 WHIP. Sullivan only struck out 21.9% of all the batters he faced but kept his walk rate low at 6.4%, and a home run rate at .57.

Sullivan has a four-pitch mix, according to Baseball America. He’ll use a fastball, curveball, slider, and change-up. Among his offerings, his slider is the best with a 55-grade. His other three pitches have a 50-grade, making him have 4 pitches that project as at least average offerings. He also has above-average control. He is only 6’1” tall, but who knows if the front office sees the possibility of his stuff ticking up some.

Sullivan isn’t a hard thrower, only averaging 90-92 MPH and topping out at 94 MPH. Baseball America states that while none of his offerings are overpowering, his control and sequencing help his arsenal play up from what it is. This likely means his upside is of a backend starter or multi-inning relief option. He ranked #212 on MLB Pipeline’s Top Draft prospect list.

Pittsburgh Pirates 7th Round Pick: Wyatt Hendrie, Catcher

The Pittsburgh Pirates entered the MLB draft with very few catchers in their system. However, after the draft, they seem to be fine on young backstops in the system. After selecting Henry Davis with the #1 overall selection, the team selected another young catcher in the 7th round. They picked up San Diego State catcher Wyatt Hendrie.

Hendrie put up strong numbers throughout his college career. In 269 plate appearances, Hendrie hit .358/.454/.573 with 10 home runs and 13 doubles. Hendrie finished his time with San Diego with a .441 wOBA. Hendrie was on pace for 22 home runs and 28 doubles across 600 plate appearances. Hendrie also displayed some good plate discipline, drawing a walk 11.5% of the time while only going down on strikes in just 13% of all his plate appearances.

Hendrie converted from left field to behind the plate. Given that he once played a decent amount in the outfield, he’s quite athletic for a catcher. However, he started out quite inconsistent as a backstop when it came to footwork, receiving, and accuracy. But he’s taken major strides and is now seen as a catcher who can be an average or better defender with a strong arm behind the dish.

His strong plate discipline helps his bat play up. He’s more of a hit-over-power kind of catcher. But his ability to make contact consistently will help him move up through the organization. Given his defense, plus defensive ability, and surprising speed for a backstop, Hendrie may end up being one of the Pirates’ more interesting prospects.