Mike Sirota
One outfielder who could still be available when the Pirates are on the clock for their competitive balance-round pick is Mike Sirota. The outfielder out of Northeastern University was selected by the LA Dodgers in 2021 when he was still a high schooler, but he would not sign. Now, he’s one of the best outfielders in the 2024 draft class.
Sirota started off the 2024 season on the wrong foot but has heated up and is doing well now. Through 247 plate appearances, Sirota owns a .298/.473/.513 triple-slash. He has hit for some power and has a .215 isolated slugging percentage, but he has also been a threat on the basepaths and has 19 stolen bases in 23 attempts. Sirota has walked (23%) much more often than he’s stuck out (18.8%) as well.
One extremely promising thing about Sirota’s amateur career is his numbers at the Cape Cod league, one of the most competitive wood bat summer leagues in the US. Sirota has stepped to the plate 144 times in the Cape Cod League while batting .312/.465/.477. While he hasn’t hit for as much power compared to his time with Northeastern, he has still only struck out 22.9% of the time with a healthy 18.8% walk rate.
Sirota projects similarly to former All-Star outfielder A.J. Pollock. He does everything well but doesn’t have any elite tools on his belt. Everything projects as a 55. He’s someone who could hit .270 in the future with a few 20/20 seasons and solid defense in center field. Sirota has a chance to still be available when the Pirates are selecting at No. 37.