Pirates 2026 MLB Draft: Picks, Bonus Pool, and everything else you need to know

The Pittsburgh Pirates enter the 2026 MLB Draft with the kind of opportunity this organization can't afford to waste.

Pittsburgh owns the No. 5 overall pick, six selections on Day 1 and the largest bonus pool in this year’s draft at $19,130,700. That's just shy of the previous draft-pool record of $19,144,500 set by the Baltimore Orioles in 2025.

The 2026 MLB Draft will take place July 11-12 in Philadelphia as part of All-Star Week. Day 1 is Saturday and includes Rounds 1-4, while Day 2 is Sunday and includes Rounds 5-20.

When do the Pirates pick in the 2026 MLB Draft?

The Pirates’ Day 1 selections are:

Pittsburgh gained the No. 34 pick as a Competitive Balance Round A selection and the No. 51 pick as compensation for failing to sign 2025 second-rounder Angel Cervantes.

The Pirates also hold these bonus-pool picks on Day 2:

That gives Pittsburgh 12 selections in the first 10 rounds, which is where draft bonus-pool accounting matters most.

Why Pirates’ bonus pool matters in 2026 MLB Draft

Every pick in the first 10 rounds comes with an assigned slot value. A team’s total pool is the amount it can spend on signing bonuses for those picks without triggering penalties. Teams can move money around, though, which means the Pirates don't have to spend exactly $8.336 million on the fifth overall pick or exactly $2.897 million on the No. 34 pick. They can go under slot with one player and use the savings to go over slot for another. That flexibility is the real power of this draft class for Pittsburgh.

The Pirates could take the best player available at No. 5 and still have enough money to be aggressive later. They could also cut a deal with their first pick and redirect savings toward a high-upside prep player who falls because of signability concerns. With the largest pool in the draft, the Pirates should be positioned to shape the board instead of merely reacting to it.

There is a limit, however. Teams that exceed their pool by up to 5% pay a 75% tax on the overage. Going beyond 5% brings future draft-pick penalties, but no team has ever exceeded that threshold during the bonus-pool era.

Pirates' No. 34 draft pick could be a trade chip

The most fascinating wrinkle is the Pirates’ Competitive Balance Round A pick at No. 34. Unlike most MLB Draft picks, competitive balance picks can be traded, and the Pirates have reportedly been open to moving the No. 34 pick as part of their trade deadline planning.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported that the Pirates are willing to trade the pick while seeking big-league upgrades, particularly bullpen help.

If the Pirates keep the pick, they keep another top-35 talent and nearly $2.9 million in pool money. If they trade it, they would sacrifice a major draft asset in the name of helping the 2026 big-league club. That's a real decision, especially for a franchise that has spent years telling fans how important internal development is.

Who could the Pirates take at No. 5?

MLB Pipeline’s latest mock draft has the Pirates taking Mississippi high school outfielder Eric Booth Jr. at No. 5. Pipeline noted Pittsburgh’s recent success with Mississippi high schooler Konnor Griffin and framed the Pirates’ decision as a possible debate between Booth’s speed, athleticism and upside and UC Santa Barbara right-hander Jackson Flora’s more advanced college arm profile.

Booth is ranked No. 6 on MLB Pipeline’s board, while Flora is No. 4. The current top 10 includes Grady Emerson, Roch Cholowsky, Vahn Lackey, Flora, Jacob Lombard, Booth, Drew Burress, Gio Rojas, Justin Lebron and Tyler Bell.

That makes the Pirates’ position especially interesting. If the first four picks go roughly as expected, Pittsburgh could be choosing between Booth and Flora. If someone such as Lackey, Lombard, Emerson or Cholowsky slips, the Pirates’ board could change quickly.

What is the Pirates’ recent draft approach?

The Pirates have leaned heavily on upside with their first picks in recent years. Pittsburgh has taken a high school player with its first pick in three of the past four drafts, with Paul Skenes as the obvious exception. The Pirates selected Konnor Griffin in 2024 and Seth Hernandez in 2025, and Hernandez has already climbed to No. 6 overall on MLB Pipeline’s prospect list.

Assistant GM Kevan Graves will run the Pirates’ draft process after former amateur scouting director Justin Horowitz left for the Washington Nationals. The Pirates have previously shown a willingness to take the best player available rather than draft strictly for positional need, and that should remain the expectation at No. 5. This is too important a pick to force for need.

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