4 best Pittsburgh Pirates late-round picks from their 2025 MLB Draft class

There is a lot of attention being given to many of the Pittsburgh Pirates’ early-round draft picks, and rightfully so. Seth Hernandez is one of the best high school pitchers ever, just signed a historic signing bonus, and the Pirates also nabbed some intriguing college bats alongside him in the early rounds. But the Pirates' job wasn't done on Day 1, as they also selected some interesting prospects later in the draft. Among their picks after the tenth round, these four stand out the most.

4 most notable Pittsburgh Pirates 2025 MLB Draft picks, 10th round or later

Dylan Palmer

Dylan Palmer was selected in the 11th round of the draft. An infielder from Hofstra University, Palmer did one thing very well throughout college, and that was rack up hits and avoid striking out. In his final season, Palmer turned in a .400/.449/.536 triple-slash. While Palmer had a poor 6.5% walk rate, he also struck out in just 7.3% of his 248 plate appearances.

As is expected with a sort of approach like this, Palmer doesn’t hit for much power. He went yard only once in 2025 and twice in total throughout his 156 college games. His 5’9”, 170-pound frame suggests there isn’t much more power in the tank, either. On the plus side, he was a base stealing threat. He went 32 for 36 in stolen base attempts this year. Palmer swiped 82 bases during his entire time at Hofstra.

Palmer is a potential future utility man. He has experience at second base, third base, shortstop, center field, and left field. Most of his playing time in 2025 was spent at the hot corner, but nearly all of his 2024 season was played at the keystone. He definitely has the speed to cover an up-the-middle position. Palmer is far from a sure thing, given his zero power, but hitting .400 with a sub-10% strikeout rate definitely should raise some eyebrows.

McLane Moody

McLane Moody was one of the many high school pitchers the Pirates drafted this year. However, Moody stands out - quite literally. The right-hander has a towering frame. He is listed at 6’7”, 200 pounds. Even though he has already passed the 200-pound plateau, his height definitely leaves some room for additional growth as he fills out.

Moody hits the mid-90s with his fastball. Given his size, it’s not surprising he has some heat. His secondary is a mid-70s curveball. This represents a second potentially reliable pitch. Moody can get inconsistent with his curve, both in terms of shape and location. That is to be expected from a high school pitcher with a 6’7” frame. There definitely is enough athleticism present for him to improve his command, as he was a two-sport athlete, playing quarterback before putting all his focus into baseball.

Moody’s fastball and tall frame make him one of the Pirates’ most interesting pitching additions from the draft. Even if he doesn’t project as a starting pitcher in the long term, the Pirates still have a hurler who could be an intimidating reliever. Moody is only 18, so a future as an SP isn’t completely out of the cards, but imagine a pitcher the height of Oneil Cruz coming out of the pen and slinging upper-90s four-seamers late into games.

Cameron Keshock

McLane Moody isn’t the only towering pitching prospect the Pirates drafted this year. Just three rounds earlier in the 12th round, the Pirates selected Cameron Keshock, a 6’7”, 225-pound right-hander out of Samford University. The hurler pitched 77 innings, albeit with a 5.73 ERA, 1.51 WHIP, and 11.2% K%-BB%. Keshock struck out 20.2% of opponents with a walk rate of 9%. In terms of home runs, he put up a 1.05 HR/9.

Keshock’s primary pitch is a two-seam fastball that sits in the low-90s, but can hit 96 MPH. Like most sinkers, Keshock uses this pitch to induce groundballs. His primary breaking pitch is a mid-80s gyro slider. The right-hander will also deploy a mid-80s changeup. According to Baseball America, Keshock’s secondaries induce more swings and misses than his two-seamer.

Keshock’s release point is almost a sidearm armslot. He was primarily a starting pitcher in his final year in college, but pitched out of Auburn’s bullpen ten times in 2023 and 2024 before transferring. His tall frame has affected his command, so he likely projects better as a bullpen arm, where his deception and velocity can play to his advantage, and his command issues are better hidden.

Brandon Cain

Brandon Cain was the Pirates’ 19th-round pick as a sophomore college selection. After transferring to the University of Oklahoma this year, Cain played sparingly in his only season before getting drafted. He only stepped to the plate 17 times, and faced just six batters as a pitcher. He did toss 9.2 innings in the MLB Draft League, and struck out ten while allowing just two earned runs. However, he also dished out 12 free passes.

Cain has some promising traits for a pitcher. He is ultra-athletic, having played outfield in college and lettered in track in high school. The right-hander flashed impressive velocity in the MLB Draft League. He sat 92-95 MPH, but ran it up to 98.2 with his fastball. He also comes from a baseball background, as he is the nephew of former MLB All-Star outfielder Lorenzo Cain.

For what it’s worth, the last two-way player the Pirates developed primarily as a pitcher was Bubba Chandler. Cain’s athleticism could help him get his mechanics under wraps and improve his command. He is only 20 and turns 21 in late August, so the Pirates have plenty of time to work with him and turn his raw athleticism into tangible results on the mound.