Pittsburgh Pirates: Three More Players to Consider in the Rule 5 Draft

Jake Mangum OF – New York Mets

The third option for the Pittsburgh Pirates should be New York Mets outfield prospect, Jake Mangum. The switch hitting outfielder is somebody that could be a sneaky pick up in this year’s Rule 5 Draft. Mangum had an injury prone season which cost him a lot of playing time, but did manage to play in 72 games after getting activated in late August.

In 2022, Mangum slashed .306/.363/.441 with an OPS of .804 across the Mets minor league affiliates. He finished with 4 home runs, 6 triples, and 15 doubles in those 72 games played. He also walked 22 times and struck out only 14 times.

In September, Mangum was on fire. He slashed .341/.376/.506 with AAA Syracuse. This showed his true potential since he was at full health at the end of the season.

This kid would be a great utility type player the Pirates could use in 2023. The versatility of being a switch hitter and also the ability to play solid defense in the outfield should be attract this front office in potentially selecting him in this years draft.

Either way, the Pittsburgh Pirates need to find a hidden gem in this years Rule 5 Draft. They are lacking in certain areas and this could be a great way to help secure some areas of need for next season.