Pittsburgh Pirates Draft: Three New College Draft Picks to Follow

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.