Pittsburgh Pirates Draft: Three Potential Late Round Impact Players

These three late round selections made by the Pittsburgh Pirates during this year’s draft could make an impact in the future.

The Pittsburgh Pirates made the most of their 2022 MLB Draft. The big get was obviously Termarr Johnson, but the Pirates also drafted some notable pitchers like Thomas Harrington, Hunter Barco, and Michael Kennedy. They could all potentially be impact players in the future.

But many impact players weren’t drafted in the first few rounds. Every team tries and finds potential impact players in their future at every stage of the draft; early, middle rounds, and late rounds. The Pirates definitely picked some talented players late in the draft.

But among their later-round picks, who could be potential impact players? All of these players were picked after the 10th round but could potentially be a player the Pirates could rely on.

LHP Julian Bosnic

Julian Bosnic had the potential to go within the first few rounds of the 2021 draft. However, injuries caused him to fall to the 16th round to the San Francisco Giants. Bosnic decided to return to the University of South Carolina. After a strong season where he stayed healthy, Bosnic re-entered the 2022 draft, where the Pirates selected him in the 14th round.

Bosnic’s last season in college saw him pitch 50.2 innings, working to the tune of a 2.84 ERA and 0.93 WHIP. Bosnic struck out 37.9% of the batters he faced while surrendering just two home runs. Bosnic, impressively, also had 3.9 hits-per-9 innings. But Bosnic also walked batters 12.1% of the time.

Bosnic worked as a reliever and starter, pitching 22 games and starting four. Bosnic’s fastball averages out around 92-95 MPH, but he has shown the ability to crank it up to the upper-90s. Bosnic’s curveball is also very good, as he has a very high spin rate. While his change-up has the potential to be a decent offering, he rarely uses it. Bosnic’s biggest flaw is his command, which stems from a delivery he has trouble repeating. He also isn’t the most athletic pitcher ever, which also contributes to a lack of a repeatable delivery.

Bosnic may have reliever in his future, but there’s still a chance he can start. Bosnic is talented. There’s a reason he was projected to go within the first five rounds in 2021. If he is healthy and can improve his mechanics, Bosnic may end up as a starting pitcher. At the very worst, he projects as a high-leverage left-handed reliever.