Pittsburgh Pirates Draft: Potential Selections at Pick #4

Elijah Green, Outfielder, IMG Academy

Elijah Green has been the most connected name to the Pittsburgh Pirates dating back to last year’s Draft.  Green, who was in Denver on Draft night, was seen mingling with people from the Pittsburgh Pirates.  This makes sense for obvious baseball reasons, but also he is the son of former Pittsburgh Steeler Eric Green.  In fact, Jason Mackey actually talked to Elijah and Eric after last year’s Draft and both made it very apparent that they would love for the Bucs to Draft the young outfielder.

Green was considered to be the #1 player on the 2022 Draft board and was originally the only player given a 50 FV by FanGraphs on their Draft Board.  Of course, just like Kumar Rocker, Green had nowhere to move but down on these early lists.  Since last year’s draft Green has moved out of the consensus #1 spot but still is viewed as one of the best prospects available.  The reason is that he still has real 5 tool potential which gives him a very high ceiling.

This is good news for the Pittsburgh Pirates if this is the player they want at pick #4.  Green has all the physical tools, he is 6’3” and weighs around 225 pounds.  It is rare to find prep players have that kind of build right out of high school.  Of course, being his father played in the NFL it should come as no surprise that Elijah has that kind of build and athleticism.

The biggest question for Green is whether or not he will be able to stay in center field long-term, or if he will need to be moved to a corner spot.  With such a big frame already there is a chance that Green could fill out even more. This is one of the main reasons that Green has slipped behind some of the infielders on Draft Boards. Green is committed to player college baseball for the Miami Hurricanes.