The 2025 MLB Draft order is set. MLB held its third annual Draft Lottery to determine the order of the top six picks Tuesday during the Winter Meetings festivities, with the Washington Nationals ultimately emerging victorious with the No. 1 overall pick.
The Pittsburgh Pirates, who had a 5.31% chance of landing the top pick, ended up with the sixth overall selection in the 2025 MLB Draft. They moved up three spots from last year's draft, when they selected prep shortstop Konnor Griffin at No. 9 overall.
Last time Pirates picked No. 6 overall in MLB Draft & recent first-round picks
The Pirates haven't held the No. 6 overall pick since 1985, when they selected Barry Bonds. Bonds went on to win seven MVP Awards, including two with the Pirates, and he was named to the team's Hall of Fame in August.
The Pirates won the inaugural MLB Draft Lottery in 2022, allowing them to select reigning National League Rookie of the Year Paul Skenes at No. 1 overall the following year. Skenes, who was also a finalist for the 2024 NL Cy Young Award, is the first-ever Pirates draft pick to be named Rookie of the Year.
Last year, the Pirates took the first high school prospect off the board with Griffin at No. 9. He is a toolsy player who has often been credited as having the highest ceiling out of anyone in his draft class. He currently ranks as the Pirates' No. 2 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline.
Pittsburgh's No. 3 prospect, Termarr Johnson, is another former first-round pick by the club (No. 4 overall) in 2022. Known for his pure hitting ability, Johnson finished last season with a promotion to Double-A Altoona, and an MLB debut as early as 2025 isn't out of the question.
In addition to Skenes, the Pirates have another pair of former first-round picks on their 40-man roster in second baseman Nick Gonzales (No. 7 in 2020) and Henry Davis (No. 1 in 2021). Their first-round pick from 2019, Quinn Priester (No. 18), was flipped to the Boston Red Sox at the trade deadline for another first-rounder from the following year's class in Nick Yorke (No. 17).
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