One draft prospect at each position that should be on the Pittsburgh Pirates’ radar

The Pittsburgh Pirates landed the ninth overall pick in the 2024 draft during the draft lottery during the December Winter Meetings last year. It marks the fifth year in a row they’ve received a top-ten pick, and it will also mark Ben Cherington’s fifth draft as the Pirates’ general manager. The draft won’t happen for another three months, but given the college season has been in full swing for a while now, we can get at least an idea of who is good and who will go early in the draft.

This year’s draft has a lot of college talent. The first five picks could be college players. This could be a good chance for the Pirates to snag a top college bat to help the line-up within the next year or so. So, going position-by-position, who are some names that the Pirates should have on their radars?

Catcher: Walker Janek

Catcher Walker Janek is one of the best backstops in the draft. He could go late into the first round or early second round. The Sam Houston State product has been a great hitter throughout his college career. He has also displayed the skills to remain behind the dish in the long run, but also some versatility.

Janek has logged 176 plate appearances this season batting .392/.477/.730. He already has 25 extra base hits. That includes 11 home runs, doubles, and three triples. He has a 12.5% walk rate and an 18.2% strikeout rate this season. Janek isn’t considered a great runner, but he’s not slow, either. He’s shown good instinct on the basepaths and has gone 24/28 in stolen base attempts throughout his college career.

Janek has displayed bat speed, which should help his power play reach an above-average level. But he will need to sharpen up his swing decisions. He swings outside the zone a lot, and while he’s made good contact so far in his college career with that approach, it is something that could get exploited in the professional ranks. Still, there’s potential for at least an average hit tool here.

Janek has displayed good fielding prowess behind the dish. He has good hands that help him frame and blocks well. Janek’s arm is his best defensive weapon, as he makes strong, accurate throws from behind the plate with good reaction times. Although Janek is a catcher by trade, he has also seen time at third base, second base, and corner outfield. While catcher will likely remain his primary position, he could see some time at both the corner infield and outfield from time to time.  

Currently, Janek is projected to go within the first 40 picks. Joe Doyle has him 38th overall, just one pick after the Bucs’ competitive balance selection. MLB Pipeline has him ranked as the 38th-best prospect in the draft. While the Pirates have plenty of long term catching options, Janek would not be a bad pick-up with their 37th overall selection, especially given he has some versatility.

First base

Blake Burke

First base has been an issue for the Pirates since Kevin Young retired. But the Pirates might find their next first baseman in this year’s draft as there is a plethora of corner infielders in this year’s class. One is University of Tennessee first baseman Blake Burke who could also land in the early second round.

Burke is currently slashing .422/.483/.859 through 151 plate appearances in 2024. Burke, known for his big-time power, already has 13 home runs on the season with a massive .437 isolated slugging percentage. His 10.6% walk rate is slightly below the SEC average, but he has struck out in a mere 13.5% of his plate appearances so far.

Burke arguably has the best power potential in this draft. The 6’4”, 240-pound first baseman has both muscle and bat speed that help him launch moonshots. His career isolated slugging percentage in college is .351. Burke played in the wood bat California Collegiate League in 2022, and while he wasn’t putting up the gaudy power numbers he has throughout college, he still had an impressive .233 ISO while slugging .544 when the league average was .378.

Burke has made some major strides with his plate discipline. In his 2022 freshman year, he struck out just over 30% of the time. In his following season, he cut that down to 17.3%. Now, he’s below 15%. His walk rate, however, has moved in the wrong direction, from 15.8% to just around 10% now. 

Burke’s primary position is first base, but he has some experience in left field. He doesn’t have good arm strength and while he’s also a below average runner, he has displayed fine defense at first base. He could end up as an average to slightly above average defender at first.

If the Pirates wanted to add some major power to the system, Burke would be the best selection. He’ll have just turned 21 when the draft rolls around, so he’s still a fairly young player. His swing decisions on off-speed and breaking stuff need to be sharpened up, but he has definitely made progress.

Second base

JJ Wetherholt

JJ Wetherholt is considered one of the best players in this year’s draft. However, a hamstring injury took Wetherholt out for a little over a month in the college season. This has brought his draft stock down enough that he could reasonably still be on the board when the Pirates are on the clock with their first round pick.

When Wetherholt has been healthy, he’s been a force to be reckoned with at the plate. In 56 plate appearances, Wetherholt has a .342/.482/.561 triple-slash. He has ten walks to just six K’s and is hitting for some pop. He has a .219 isolated slugging percentage, which is better than the Big-12 average. There’s definitely potential for more pop here. Wetherholt had a .250 ISO in the Cape Cod League and will likely see more power with a healthy hamstring.

Overall, he has a .378/.468/.629 college line, a 10.9% walk rate, 12.5% strikeout rate, and .251 ISO. He has been an ultra-aggressive base runner, attempting 70 stolen bases and being successful 54 times. Wetherholt has a .510 wOBA throughout 570 plate appearances since his 2022 college debut.

Wetherholt has played second base, third base, shortstop, and even some games in the outfield grass. Although some believe he can stick at shortstop with average defense, he probably profiles better at second base. He definitely has the speed to play both middle infield positions, and even though he hasn’t played any outfield since 2021, left field is also a possibility where he ends up.

Wetherholt has a smooth left-handed swing and uses his high-end bat speed to generate at least above-average power, if not plus power. The hit tool is the real prize here, as it’s a potential plus-plus attribute. He doesn’t have any problem going to all fields and doesn’t get pull-happy. He’s a pure hitter, and that’s the sort of position player Cherington has seemingly liked to take in his drafts.

While there is still a lot of college season left to play, Wetherholt could definitely fall to the 9th overall selection in this year’s draft. Wetherholt is one of the best overall hitters in this year’s draft, and he’d be a great pick-up if the Pirates took him 9th overall.

Third base

Tommy White

Affectionately nicknamed “Tommy Tanks,” Tommy White burst onto the college baseball scene as a freshman at NC State in 2022, setting the all-time freshman home run record. Since then, he’s continued to mash baseballs for Louisiana State University and could fall into the competitive balance round where the Pirates are selecting 37th overall.

White is hitting .333/.425/.601 through 179 plate appearances. Believe it or not, but these are all career lows for him. He already has a dozen home runs this year and a .268 isolated slugging percentage. While he isn’t walking a ton, as his 11.2% walk rate is lower than the SEC average of 13.4%, he is striking out even less frequently with a 9.5% K%. 

In total, White has 159 career games in college where he has hit .360/.428/.708. He has 63 home runs in 755 plate appearances, along with 41 doubles. He has kept his strikeout rate down each year and only has a 14.3% K%. But has drawn a walk in less than 9% of his plate appearances (8.7%, to be exact).

There’s no question about White’s power. He generates big exit velocities from his lage 6’1”, 230-pound frame. White makes a ton of loud contact outside the strikezone. However, while he hasn’t had trouble with outside stuff in college, it is a reasonable concern once he gets into pro ball. Whatever team that drafts him will have to consider this and work on his swing decisions.

White has only played third base this year, but he’ll likely have to move across the diamond to first base. His arm might play at the hot corner, but that might be the extent of his third base capabilities. He doesn’t have great range and his reflexes would play better on the other side of the infield dirt.

Whichever team that drafts White is going to be for his bat, not his defensive ability. But his bat certainly has a high ceiling. A tweak in his swing decisions could do him a lot of good and help him keep up with better pitching as he moves through the minor leagues. There might be a chance he is still available when the Bucs are on the clock with their competitive balance round A pick.

Shortstop

Seaver King

One of the best players in this year’s draft is also an extremely versatile player. Wake Forrest’s Seaver King has played all over the field, and there’s definitely potential for him to develop a plus bat with some power along with above-average fielding at four different positions. He is arguably the best shortstop prospect in this year’s draft.

After two highly successful seasons with Wingate University, King transferred to Wake Forrest for his junior season, where he has hit .314/.374/.601 with a 7.6% walk rate and an impressive 11.7% strikeout rate. King has also provided some pop. He has 11 home runs, which matches his 2023 total, but in 72 fewer plate appearances. His .287 ISO falls just a hair above his career average of .280.

King has the potential for a plus-hit tool. He makes a lot of contact, even outside the strike zone. But, like with other prospects we have discussed today, that can be both a strength and a weakness that could get exploited in pro ball. However, one major positive thing is his raw power. He has both great bat speed and added some muscle behind it this season. How well the raw power will play could also be determined if he can lift the ball more frequently. His bat path can get a little flat at times.

Where King ends up long-term on the field is up for debate. He has played many games at shortstop, second base, third base, and center field. He projects as an average to above-average defender wherever he plays and has a strong enough arm to play both on the left side of the infield and the outfield grass. He’s an athletic player who could handle whichever position he ends up at.

King is definitely an interesting prospect. He has the tools and potential, as well as swiss army knife-level versatility. Adjustments will likely have to be made to his game, but if he is receptive and adaptable, there’s a potential plus hitter with plus power, and an above average glove all over the field.

Left field

Mike Sirota

Mike Sirota was coming off a big year in 2023 with Northeastern University. His OPS was well over 1.100 at 1.149, and he fell just two home runs and a stolen base shy of a 20/20 season. But Sirota hasn’t had a great start to the 2024 season. However, his athleticism and approach to the plate is excellent and he has five-tool potential.

Like I just stated, Sirota did not get off to his best start in 2024. Currently, he is only hitting .264/.407/.411. He is striking out 24.1% of the time, but has an impressive 17.9% walk rate. Sirota hasn’t hit for much power so far this year and has a .147 ISO, but last year, he clocked in at .332. But there is still plenty of time for him to turn his 2024 campaign around.

One thing that is extremely promising, aside from his 2023 season, is that Sirota has done extremely well in the Cape Cod League. In 144 plate appearances, he has hit .312/.465/.477. The power was certainly down, especially compared to his college career with just a .165 ISO, but he has walked at a high 18.8% rate, albeit with a much less impressive 22.9% strikeout rate.

While he hasn’t been great in 2024, that shouldn’t scare off teams entirely. Sirota is a five-tool player, but even if he doesn’t have an attribute safely into the ‘plus’ range, he just does everything well. There’s also a high ceiling here with Sirota, given his outstanding athleticism.

Center field

Vance Honeycutt

Vance Honeycutt is an outfielder for the University of North Carolina. Honeycutt has massive power potential as well as a potential Gold Glove future. But his bat is also a massive risk and there’s serious question as to if he could hit enough to be more than a power-hitting 4th outfielder. Still, the potential has made him one of the best players in the draft.

Honeycutt has a .303/.417/.655 triple-slash through 176 plate appearances. The right-handed batter has hit for a ton of pop. He already has 14 home runs, putting him on pace for around 47 home runs across 600 plate appearances. Honeycutt has an impressive .352 isolated slugging percentage as well. He’s matched his power with great base running, swiping 20 bases in just 22 attempts.

Now here’s the interesting part on Honeycutt. While he is walking at a 12.6% rate, he is also striking out nearly 30% of the time with a 28.4% K%. Honeycutt looked like he may have made some improvements from 2022 to 2023, with his strikeout rate going from 29.7% to 20.4%. Honeycutt has a long swing, so while he may never be the next Tony Gwynn, it fluctuating so much and trending in the wrong direction isn’t the most promising thing.

Honeycutt should remain in center field as he has the potential to be a double-plus defender. He’s more than fast enough to cover plenty of ground up the middle. If he had to move to an outfield corner, his arm is also strong enough to handle it with ease.

Honeycutt is a great defender with a powerful arm and 30/30 potential. The major question is whether he can reduce strikeouts and swing-and-miss. That’s obviously easier said than done. Honeycutt has a massive high-ceiling/low-floor profile. 

Right field

Braden Montgomery

After two years at Stanford, outfielder/right-handed pitcher Braden Montgomery transferred to Texas A&M for the 2024 season. Montgomery, who was already considered a top draft prospect, has only improved his stock with an outstanding season so far for the Aggies. He’ll assuredly go within the top ten picks but might play himself beyond where the Pirates are selecting at number nine.

Montgomery has been nothing short of astounding at the plate. He is hitting .379/.514/.900. Yes, that’s a .900 slugging percentage. His .521 isolated slugging is some players’ normal slugging percentage. He already has 20 home runs in 179 plate appearances, a pace of 67 in 600 plate appearances. Along with hitting for massive pop, his walk rate (19.6%) is much higher than his strikeout rate (15.6%).

Montgomery has pitched some in college. He has 34.2 innings throughout his career but has been erratic, to say the least. Montgomery has walked 36 batters in that time. He throws a fastball, slider, and change-up, sitting in the low to mid-90s. He’ll likely leave pitching behind once he gets drafted, maybe outside of occasional mop-up duty at the very most.

While Montgomery might be an outfielder long term, that arm strength he has on the mound helps him make deep throws from the grass. He arguably has the best arm among all the top outfield prospects in this year’s draft class. He should stick in the outfield corners long-term. Montgomery doesn’t have the prototypical speed you see from center field prospects, but has enough range to play the corners with ease and obviously will make some great throws too.

There is an outside chance that Montgomery will end up as the ninth overall selection. An under-slot pick here, an over-slot selection there, and it’s possible we see him still on the board when the Pirates get their first chance at selecting a player. Montgomery would almost be the automatic pick if he was still there when the Pirates are on the clock.

Left-handed pitcher

Hagen Smith

The best left-handed starting pitcher in this year’s draft looks to be University of Arkansas ace Hagen Smith. The southpaw is in just his age-20 season, but has looked great so far in his third college season. He’ll likely go within the first ten picks, and if the Pirates want to take another high ceiling pitcher, this could be the go-to guy if he’s available.

Smith has pitched 47 innings, working to a 1.53 ERA, 0.83 WHIP, and 5.24 K:BB ratio. Smith had trouble limiting walks in both his freshman and sophomore campaigns, with a BB% of a touch above 13% in both years. But this season, Smith has cut his walk rate down just below 10% at 9.3%. But more impressively, he’s struck out nearly 50% of the batters he’s faced and has a 48.9% strikeout rate. Home runs also haven’t been a massive issue as he carries an 0.77 HR/9.

Smith has a ton of deception in his delivery, something the Pirates have looked for a lot recently in their arms.

He hides the ball well with his short arm before firing the ball at a low three-quarters arm slot. The southpaw throws a multitude of pitches. His fastball sits low-to-mid 90s with some carry, but he can also throw a sinker variant. His splitter has plus potential and has thrown batters off throughout his college career, and his slider could be even better. He’ll also occasionally mix in a curveball. Smith has frontline potential, but there are some concerns about his long-term command/control.

Some believe that Smith could be such a fast-rising prospect, that a team could draft him with the possibility he becomes a September call-up if he moves to the bullpen, at least to start his pro career, and eventually move back into the rotation. He’s drawn some Josh Hader comparisons, though if he sharpens his control and command, there could be a real ace here.