MLB Pipeline way-too-early 2026 Mock Draft predicts Pirates add elite SEC bat

The Pirates have held a Top 10 pick in each of the past seven drafts, including the upcoming 2026 edition. In that time, Pittsburgh has established a trend, selecting either a shortstop or a right-handed pitcher. According to Jim Callis’s most recent mock draft, the Bucs don’t seem likely to break that pattern any time soon.

Callis recently connected the Pirates, who will be selecting at No. 3, to Alabama shortstop Justin Lebron. Lebron ranked in the top 10 among SEC players in stolen bases, home runs, and doubles in 2025. He was one of the more notable players in the conference behind Pirates ninth-round pick in 2024 Jared Jones. Lebron has plenty of upside as a collegiate middle infielder, but his path to the Majors won’t be easy in the Pirates’ farm system.

The Pirates could steal potential top prospect Justin Lebron from the University of Alabama.

Before Lebron even falls to the Pirates, the shortstop could be a No. 1 draft pick. With the Pirates, he will have to contend with former first-round picks Nick Gonzales and Konnor Griffin, as well as Cam Devanney, Yordaney De Los Santos, and Wyatt Sanford, ahead of him in the system. Lebron, though, seems to have the skills to surpass many of these players and could benefit from Griffin’s possible transition to the outfield.

Lebron is perhaps more complete than Roch Cholowsky, who is getting No. 1 draft pick buzz. He has two years of elite collegiate play under his belt and could fly through the Minors like his former rivals at LSU Paul Skenes and Jones. With another season at Alabama, Lebron could further develop his power and emerge as a superstar.

There’s always a possibility, though, that Lebron rises in the estimation of scouts. He already draws interest as a top prospect, and thus, he might not fall to the Pirates at No. 3, where they're currently projected to sit before the lottery process plays out. Should UCLA shortstop Cholowsky fall, the Bucs will be in largely the same position.

Otherwise, Pittsburgh may have to break their trend and look to the plethora of collegiate outfielders, such as LSU’s Derek Curiel, as their pick in the 2026 draft. Or maybe they get a little Skenes-style lottery luck? Would certainly be nice.