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Pittsburgh Pirates Draft: Two Prep Arms to Watch at Pick No. 36

By Noah Wright |
Jacob Miller, of Liberty Union, throws a pitch during a Division III regional semifinal win against Ridgewood on Thursday at Mount Vernon High School.
Jacob Miller, of Liberty Union, throws a pitch during a Division III regional semifinal win against Ridgewood on Thursday at Mount Vernon High School.
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Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports /

Many mock drafts around the web have the Pittsburgh Pirates taking one of these two high school pitchers with the 36th overall selection in the upcoming MLB Draft

The Pittsburgh Pirates have the 36th overall pick in the upcoming draft as a competitive balance pick. There have been many mock drafts coming up as we get closer and closer to the draft. We’re less than a week away at this point, and draft rumors and draft predictions are starting to heat up.

There seems to be a consensus that the Pirates will take Brooks Lee with their 4th overall pick. They have picked a college position player in the first round of the last two drafts. However, this year’s draft is top-heavy with high school talents like Druw Jones, Jackson Holliday, Termarr Johnson, and Elijah Green. Plus, last year, the Pirates were predicted to take Marcelo Mayer, the guy who was considered the best draft prospect.

Mock drafts are just that: predictions. However, I still think it’s worth going through and looking at some of the guys prospect experts have the Pirates taking. They’re much more connected to the professional baseball world than many of us are. Many of the mock drafts have us taking a high school pitcher, so who are these arms that reporters have us taking?

Liberty Union senior Jacob Miller pitches against Waynedale in a Division III state semifinal on Thursday, June 9, 2022 at Canal Park in Akron. The Lions lost 4-3.Waynedale 4 Liberty Union 3
Liberty Union senior Jacob Miller pitches against Waynedale in a Division III state semifinal on Thursday, June 9, 2022 at Canal Park in Akron. The Lions lost 4-3.Waynedale 4 Liberty Union 3 /

Right-hand pitcher Jacob Miller

MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo seems pretty confident that Liberty Union right-hander Jacob Miller and the Pirates make a good fit. Mayo has pinned him to the Pittsburgh Pirates in his most recent mock draft, as well as the one he published on June 1st. Miller is a very talented right-hander hailing from Ohio.

Miller brings a four-pitch mix to the table, which includes a fastball, curveball, slider, and change-up. The right-hander is already averaging out around 91-95 MPH as a high school product with his four-seamer. He also has displayed some arm-side movement with his fastball. His best pitch is probably his curveball, which has a high spin rate and comes in the upper-70s/low-80s. His slider is a third plus offering that sits in the mid-80s. His change-up has fading action and sits in the low-80s as well.

His knee-buckling curve is shown off best in this video by Thomas Wilson of the Eagle-Gazette:

Miller can fill the strike zone with his offerings. There are some questions about his mechanics, but he has the athleticism and make-up to where those issues could be fixed in due time. After all, he is a high school pitcher and will turn 19 in August. Miller stands at 6’2″, 180 pounds, so there’s plenty of frame there to fill out.

Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports /

Left-handed pitcher Jackson Ferris

Prospects Live writer Joe Doyle’s most recent mock draft has the Pittsburgh Pirates selecting Jackson Ferris with their 36th overall selection. Mayo also concurs that there’s a possibility the Pirates take Ferris with him having the Bucs selecting the high school southpaw in his June 30th mock draft. Ferris is coming out of IMG Academy and teammates with top high school outfield draft prospect Elijah Green.

Ferris is a southpaw that is already averaging out at 92-95 MPH with his fastball. His primary breaking pitch is a 12-6 curveball that comes in the mid-70s. His third and final offering is a changeup, a pitch that he throws in the mid-80s. Personally, I like to see a pitching prospect who has distinct speeds to all of his offerings. All of his offerings have movement too. His fastball rides through the zone well, and his change-up has fading action, making it a plus offering.

His fastball is the best among his trio of pitches, per MLB Pipeline. They give it a 60-grade. Both his curve and changeup get 55-grades from MLB Pipeline. At 18-years-old, having three offerings that look like plus pitches with unique velocity ranges is promising.

Next. Rodolfo Nolasco Heating Up for Bradenton. dark

Like Miller, Ferris does come with some questions about his mechanics. This has led to some spotty command, but again, most high school arms have mechanical concerns. Ferris stands at a lanky but projectable 6’4, 195. He has an unorthodox wind-up and delivery, which is where many of the questions about his command and mechanics arise from.

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