Grading the last 10 Pirates’ first-round draft picks

The MLB Draft is right around the corner, and the Pirates have the ninth overall pick in the first round this year. Over the last 10 summers, the Pirates have had some decent first-round picks, but have also chosen some significant busts. In our estimation, here's how the last 10 first-rounders the Pirates have taken grade out.

Pirates Draft Grades: Where are the Pirates' last 10 first round picks now?

2023: Paul Skenes, A+

This grade is a no brainer, as Paul Skenes is one of the best pitchers in baseball and has only pitched in 11 games. He is heading to Arlington for his first All-Star Game, which is very special, with the honor coming just a year after he was drafted. Skenes will also be starting this game for the National League.

After throwing seven no-hit innings against the first place Brewers, Skenes now has a 6-0 record with an earned run average of 1.90 in 66.1 innings pitched and has struck out 89 batters. Opponents are batting just .201 against him and his WHIP is at 0.92.

This gives Skenes an easy A+ grade.

2022: Termarr Johnson, B

The Pirates' 2022 first-rounder, Termarr Johnson, has had an interesting start to his minor-league career. He just turned 20 years old and he has shown great signs of plate discipline and power. Although his batting average has not been that high, his career OPS is at .820, which is very impressive.

This season, Johnson started off slow, but recently he has been on fire. Through 79 games, Johnson has a .244 batting average with nine home runs and 38 runs batted in. He also has an OPS of .788, which includes an on-base percentage of .394 and a slugging percentage of .394. His wRC+ sits at 128, and his strikeout percentage is at a career low of 22.6%.

He is graded at a B because he has been good, but his consistency has not been great. His stats are solid after his hot start, but each season, he has started the season off very slowly.

2021: Henry Davis, C-

Henry Davis has been dissapointing this season with his regression. He was not outstanding in his freshman season, but that is understandable for a rookie. The organization believed he would take the next step forward in his career in Year 2, but he did the opposite.

In the majors this season, Davis has a batting average of .153 with one home run and five runs batted in. He also has an OPS of .503, which includes an on-base percentage of .267 and a slugging percentage of .235. His wRC+ is not good at 48, and his strikeout percentage is high at 39.2%. He has done well in Triple-A this season, but it has not translated to MLB.

He is graded a C- here due to his regression in his second year, but was not entirely great in his rookie season, either. He has a lot of potential and is still going to be a big part of the team's future (we hope).