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Pittsburgh Pirates 2022 Mock Draft 1.0: Projecting a College Bat
The Pittsburgh Pirates have the fourth overall selection in this year’s Amateur Draft. Who could the team select with the pick?
The Pittsburgh Pirates are drafting in the Top 5 in back-to-back seasons. Last year the team had the first overall selection. They took catcher Henry Davis first overall, arguably the top college bat in the Draft class. Some questioned the pick at the time, but Davis has impressed so far in his brief career.
For multiple reasons the Pittsburgh Pirates were able to save money on the Davis selection which allowed them to be more aggressive with their other selections. The team was able to use their savings and select high-end prep talent with their later picks. Their next three selections were Anthony Solometo, Lonnie White Jr., and Bubba Chandler. All three of these players ranked very highly and received over-slot bonuses.
Will the Pittsburgh Pirates have a similar approach to this year’s Draft? With the team selecting fourth overall they will be on the outside looking in at the top 3. Last year was nice as the team had the top pick and could weigh out their options well beforehand. This year they will need to wait and see who goes in front of them. So let’s take a look at who could end up at four for them:
Pittsburgh Pirates #4 Overall Pick
Brooks Lee, Shortstop, Selection
Yes, a middle infielder. There are a few things that Pittsburgh Pirates should realize by now and it is that the team’s Front Office has a preference for college players early in the Draft. The first two drafts under Ben Cherington and Steven Sanders saw the Pittsburgh Pirates go with college hitters in Nick Gonzales and Henry Davis. However, this was very much their pattern when the two brain trusts were with the Toronto Blue Jays.
So looking at the Draft board there are three college hitters who could be available at pick #4. One is second baseman Jace Jung from Texas Tech, Chase DeLautre a right fielder from James Madison, and Peyton Graham a third baseman from Oklahoma. So why Lee?
Well, out of the group Lee might be the best pure hitter, a trait the Bucs have looked for with each of their last first-round selections. Lee is having a strong college season batting .366 with an OPS over 1.100. However, something that stands out, even more, is that he hit over .400 in the Cape Cod League last summer. Again, a League that the Pittsburgh Pirates Front Office thinks favorably of when it comes to producing prospects.
Pittsburgh Pirates Pirates #36 Overall Selection
Walter Ford, Pitcher, Pace High School (FL)
Ford is a very interesting prospect who checks a lot of boxes for the Pittsburgh Pirates. First off, he will only be just turning 18 this year, making him one of the younger prospects projected in the Top 100. He was supposed to be a part of the 2023 Draft Class, but he reclassified for this year’s Draft. This could show that he is motivated to get his career started.
As a pitcher, he has a lot of characteristics that resemble 2021 Draft pick Anthony Solometo. No, he is not a left-handed pitcher, Ford is a righty. He is built similar to Solometo as Ford stands at 6’3” and weighs 175 pounds. He is described to be tall and lanky with loose arm action making easy velocity. Again, a lot of the same things were said about Solometo last year.
Ford is a prep pitcher who is committed to the University of Alabama. Obviously, players want to play in the SEC and it can sometimes be hard to sign these prospects who are committed to those types of schools. Still, that is somewhat of the point in the Pittsburgh Pirates selecting Lee with the first pick.
Next. 2021 Pick Promoted to Double-A. dark
Lee, who is mainly ranked in the 5-10 range and is coming from college, will not have a ton of negotiating leverage. The Bucs will likely be able to save a chunk of change from his bonus to help convince a player like Ford from going to college. We saw the team do it last year and hopefully, they can have a similar approach this year.