Rum Bunter Staff Pittsburgh Pirates Mock Draft: Noah Wright

The Pittsburgh Pirates have the fourth overall pick in the 2022 draft, so what could a mock draft look like for their upcoming draft.

The MLB draft is just around the corner now. The Pittsburgh Pirates have the no. 4 overall pick, and we here at Rum Bunter will be doing plenty of coverage as we approach the draft, during the draft, and after the draft. As we get closer to the draft, we’ll be giving our opinions through mock drafts.

Mock drafts have been done all around the internet by all different baseball writers, and we’re no different. Earlier in June, I put out my “way-too-early” mock draft. But now we’re less than three weeks from the draft. So who could the Pirates select in their first five rounds?

No. 4 overall – SS/2B Termarr Johnson

Now I know multiple people have the Pittsburgh Pirates taking Brooks Lee or another college bat at no. 4, but I’m going to go against the grain. This draft is way too high school heavy to completely rule out the Pirates picking someone like Termarr Johnson, who is seen as a top-three talent.

Johnson’s offensive potential has been compared to some of the best hitters of all time. According to MLB Pipeline, scouts have compared him to Wade Boggs’ plate discipline and Vlad Guerrero Sr.’s bat-to-ball skill. Basically saying, he isn’t striking out, and he’s going to draw a ton of walks. That makes his hit tool the best in the entire draft. But make no mistake, he’s also a power hitter.

MLB Pipeline projects him to have 60-grade power, which is well above average and in the low-tier elite territory. There’s 25-30 home run power in that 5-10, 175-pound frame. Johnson might not be blazing fast, but he can swipe a dozen bags if given the chance. He’s currently a shortstop but will likely have to transition to second base. He just doesn’t have the arm to play short, long term, though he probably will play a decent amount of shortstop early in his pro career.

The kind of plate discipline and hand-eye coordination that Johnson has can’t be taught. He’s just barely 18 years old, so there’s an excellent case to be made that he’ll only get better with his focus solely on professional baseball and with professional coaches. Johnson has a future of a .300/.400/.500 hitter with 40 doubles and 25 home runs.

No. 36 – RHP Kumar Rocker

Nobody would have thought that Kumar Rocker would take this path into affiliated baseball, but his journey has been convoluted and full of twists and turns. After entering 2021 as one of the top 3 draft prospects in the draft, Rocker fell to no. 10, the New York Mets, after a strong season at Vanderbilt, but one with erratic velocity. Questions then arose about Rocker’s physicals, and a deal with the Mets fell through.

After that deal fell through, Rocker eventually made his way to pro-ball this year, signing with the Frontier League’s Tri-City ValleyCats. He’s dominated Frontier League batters, owing a 1.35 ERA, striking out 32 in just 20 innings, and allowing four to reach via free pass. But those numbers don’t do Rocker justice.

Rocker has been averaging around 94-96 MPH and hitting 97-98 MPH regularly. His slider has always been considered elite and was arguably the best breaking ball in last year’s draft. He’ll also throw a curveball with plus-plus potential and a solid changeup. It’s a four-pitch mix where all four play to an average to elite level.

Seeing the Pittsburgh Pirates get Rocker would give this system the big-time pitching prospect it needs. Rocker is 22-years-old with 20 innings at a professional level. He’d arguably be on the doorstep of the major leagues by this time next season.

Plus, could you imagine the Pittsburgh Pirates going into the 2023 All-Star Break with a rotation headed by Rocker, Roansy Contreras, Mike Burrows, and Quinn Priester? If everyone is healthy, that’s a starting rotation that could win a lot of baseball games.

No. 44 – LHP Parker Messick

Now Rocker might seem a bit optimistic, but Parker Messick at no. 44 is very plausible. The Florida State University product is one of two notable pitchers coming out of the Seminoles this year. Messick put up powerful numbers this year despite lacking powerful stuff.

In 98.2 innings, Messick had a 3.38 ERA and 0.97 WHIP. Messick’s 8.00 K:BB rate was a massive improvement from the 5.45 mark he put up a year prior. This was because he increased his K% from 32.3% to 36.5% and cut his walk rate down from 6% to a measly 4.5%. The only downside is his HR/9 took a massive downturn, from 0.6 to 1.4. Still, he only gave up seven home runs through his first 120 college innings.

Messick isn’t a flamethrower, unlike Rocker and many other notable draft prospects. He only averages out in the low-90s and tops out around 95 MPH with his fastball. Though it’s still an above-average pitch because he can locate it well. His curveball and slider are considered average offerings, but his change-up is a plus pitch. On top of four decent offerings, he has plus control.

Messick is a high-floor/low-ceiling type of arm. His overall stuff might not scream ace, but a mix of command and deception help his stuff play up from what it probably would be. There’s a decent #2 type arm in Messick and someone who the Pittsburgh Pirates should consider picking.

No. 83 – First Baseman Ivan Melendez

With the Pirates rumored to take a college bat in the first round, it’s no surprise that some have them taking Jacob Berry at no. 4. But I think the Pittsburgh Pirates can still get a top-tier slugger, albeit with less defensive prowess in the third round. That’s Texas Longhorns’ first baseman, Ivan “The Hispanic Titanic” Melendez.

Melendez put up monster numbers with the University of Texas in 2022, batting .387/.505/.863, leading to a .560 wOBA. Melendez’s slugging percentage matches that of Barry Bonds in 2001, when he hit 73 home runs. Heck, in general, Melendez’s slash line is almost identical to 2001 Barry Bonds. Bonds slashed .328/.515/.863 in his historic 2001. Melendez drew more walks (52) than he struck out (51) as well.

Melendez recently won Baseball America’s college player of the year award. He also broke Kris Bryant’s National home run record, the 2013 Baseball America college player of the year. Melendez has a ton of offensive upside. There were concerns about his strikeouts in 2021, but as indicated by a 16.2% strikeout rate, that might not be an issue anymore. The only problem with drafting Melendez is that he’s limited to first base and designated hitter. He has seen a few innings at third base, and he does have a solid arm, but it’s definitely not the position you want to play him at outside of emergency duties.

Melendez, who is 22 years old, could make an impact sooner rather than later. With his defensive limitations, and if the Pirates select him at #83, they might be able to sneak by with a slight under-slot selection here. Melendez could make an impact within a year of being drafted and gives the Pirates a potent bat at a position of need. You can’t ignore then 80-grade power potential (or 80-grade nickname).

No. 140 – RHP Luis Ramirez

With the 140th overall pick and the Pirates’ fifth-round selection, the team should go with another college arm. One guy who may end up around here is Long Beach State right-hander Luis Ramirez. There’s a bit of risk with Ramirez, but not a substantial amount that should turn the Pirates away. However, it might be enough to get him at no. 140.

Ramirez only threw 33 innings this year but was dominant when he pitched. He had just a 2.14 ERA and 1.07 WHIP. He didn’t allow a single home run but struck out 25.9% of batters faced. His 7.4% walk rate was also quite solid, which led to a 3.25 K:BB ratio. His strikeout and walk rates might only be slightly above average, but Ramirez knows how to get ground balls.

Ramirez’s sinking fastball generates a ton of ground balls. His ground ball rate was well over 60%, according to MLB Pipeline. He only throws around 92-94 MPH, though, with the sink he puts on it, it’s a good offering. He also improved his slider, which comes in around 79-80 MPH. His change-up is another pitch he’s shown progress with. There’s nothing here overly powerful, but everything plays well.

Ramirez has only thrown 125.1 innings throughout his college career, which started in 2020. The injury concerns are there, but there’s been no major damage to his arm. He might have gone late third-round/early fourth-round had it not been for those concerns.