3 players the Pirates should keep an eye on in the Rule 5 Draft

Bryan Magdaleno

The Texas Rangers protected a handful of their top pitching prospects, but one hurler they left unprotected was Bryan Magdaleno. The southpaw was an international signee by the Rangers in 2019. He is coming off a strong season, starting the year at A-Ball and ending the campaign with the Rangers’ Double-A affiliate.

Magdaleno pitched a total of 42.2 innings across three levels of the minor leagues, working to a phenomenal 1.27 ERA, 2.36 FIP, and 0.94 WHIP. The lefty struck out a whopping 40.5% of the opponents he faced. His K% was the second-best among minor league relievers with at least 40 innings pitched. Magdaleno induced a ton of ground balls with a 58.3% GB%, which aided in his 0.21 HR/9 rate.

Madgaleno showed off some powerful stuff in 2024, sitting mid/upper-90s with his four-seamer. Magdaleno’s breaking offering is a sweeper. His third pitch is a sinker. Plus, he throws from a lower arm slot, adding a level of deception to his pitches. But, like many young, hard-throwing pitchers, Madgaleno’s command can get in his way. He walked 12.5% of opponents, but that represented the only blemish in what was a fantastic season overall.

A southpaw who can touch the upper 90s with a good breaking pitch ending up in the Rule 5 Draft will always get attention. Sure, Magdaleno hasn’t pitched much beyond A-Ball, but there’s very little risk in adding him to the bullpen. The Pirates need more lefty reliever depth, and Magdaleno is a pitcher they should definitely have on their radar if he is still available.