Four college first basemen the Pittsburgh Pirates should keep on their draft radar

Jack Winnay

Nick Kurtz isn't the only Wake Forrest first baseman who deserves some attention from the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Jack Winnay is having a great season too and while he's not nearly as highly touted as Kurtz, Winnay is definitely worthy of a look in a later round if he's on the board. He'd be a solid mid-round slugger to add to the system.

Winnay is slashing .296/.404/.635 through 199 plate appearances. Power is one of his strong suits, as he's produced 14 dingers, a dozen doubles, and an isolated slugging percentage of .339. Winnay strikes out a little more often than you'd like to see. He has a 21.6% K% but has also drawn a decent amount of walks and has a 16.6% BB%. 

Winnay has some swing and miss in his game, but it is his first full season. Winnay is a sophomore and only received 26 plate appearances as a freshman in '23. Winnay has serious pull-side power but not much pop the other way. He currently stands at 6'1", 210, so Winnay might be able to add some extra muscle. Winnay has played more corner outfield than first base given that Kurtz is on the team, but unless he makes some improvements to his defensive game, he'll remain at first base. Winnay also has some experience at the hot corner.

Winnay projects as a day three draft prospect unless he opts to go back for a third season at Wake Forest. He has the potential for above average power and a fringe average hit tool at first base. He's definitely someone who can get overlooked with Nick Kurtz and a myriad of talented pitching prospects on the same roster as him.