Pirates Draft Grades Roundup: Experts bullish on Pittsburgh's 2024 class

The 2024 MLB Draft is in the books, and the Pittsburgh Pirates came away with quite a haul. They selected 21 players in 20 rounds over three days – 11 pitchers (eight righties, three lefties), three outfielders, four shortstops, two catchers and a third baseman.

Pittsburgh nabbed the top high school prospect in this year's class in shortstop Konnor Griffin, making him the first prep player off the board at No. 9 overall. Including Griffin, five of the Pirates' draft picks came out of high school, while the other 16 came from college.

It will be several years before we can say with any certainty how the Pirates fared in this year's draft, but so far it seems that the early opinions are mostly favorable. How did the draft experts grade the Pirates' 2024 class?

CBS Sports: A

The Pirates were one of 11 teams to receive an A, the best possible grade awarded byR.J. Anderson of CBS Sports. Anderson likes Pittsburgh's top three picks of Griffin, prep right-hander Levi Sterling and shortstop Wyatt Sanford, noting their youth and potential upside as they continue their development. Anderson also calls Pittsburgh's selections of collegiate left-hander Josh Hartle and outfielder Will Taylor "interesting," as both were promising high school talents who decided to forgo the draft the first time around in favor of going to college.

Bleacher Report: B+

Adam Wells of Bleacher Report did not do a team-by-team breakdown, but he awarded the Pirates' draft a B+. Only four teams – the Arizona Diamondbacks, Colorado Rockies, Kansas City Royals and Washington Nationals – received higher grades. Teams joining the Pirates with a B+ grade include the Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Milwaukee Brewers and a handful of others.

SB Nation: A

Guarav Vedak of SB Nation notes the "significant risk" associated with several players in the Pirates' draft class but also says there is "a ton to like." In Vedak's opinion, the potential upside of players like Griffin, Hartle and Taylor far outweighs any of their potential drawbacks. He even goes so far as to say that Griffin alone can "turn this draft into an absolute win for the Pirates" if he reaches his full potential, given his "truly elite upside."

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