2022 Draft: Pittsburgh Pirates Selection at Pick #36

The Pittsburgh Pirates had two picks on the first night of the Major League Baseball Draft.  So who did they decide to take with their second pick?

The Pittsburgh Pirates second pick of the night came at pick #36.  This pick was given to them as part of the Competitive Balance lottery.  With their first selection of the night, 4th overall, the Bucs selected prep infielder Tarmarr Johnson.  There is a lot of upside to Johnson so the team started off the night on the right track.

With their second pick, the team decided to go in a different direction.  At pick #36 overall the Pittsburgh Pirates selected right-handed pitcher Thomas Harrington.  Harrington is a 4-year sophomore and just turned 21 years old.  There is upside to him becoming a middle-of-the-rotation type arm.

He has a fastball that sits around 91-93 but has plenty of projectability yet.  Harrington stands at 6’2” and only weighs 185 pounds so he definitely could add a tick or two to his fastball. He also has a plus changeup which is always something great to see from any pitcher coming out of the Draft.  The key for Harrington will be to develop his slider.  The offering has plus movement but is inconsistent.

MLB Pipeline ranks Harrington as the 45th best prospect on the board.  He ends up going #36 which was somewhat expected.  Tarmarr Johnson likely will be close to slot value, so the team will likely be able to save a little extra here while getting a prospect with potential.  Here is some of what MLB Pipeline has of the right-handed pitcher:

A quality athlete who also played quarterback in high school, Harrington repeats his low three-quarters delivery well and pounds the strike zone…good feel for sequencing his pitches to keep hitters off balance. A Draft-eligible sophomore, he offers one of the higher floors in the 2022 college pitching crop, as well as the ceiling of a No. 3 starter.

The slot value for the 36th overall selection is worth $2,150,000 which is another big chunk of the team’s overall Draft Bonus pool of $13.7 million.  Harrington seems like a pitcher who could move quickly through the minors which is another positive.  The Pittsburgh Pirates need pitching help and he represents someone who could help sooner rather than later.