Pittsburgh Pirates: 10 Years Since Having Two Top 15 Selections

The 2012 Draft was the first Major League Baseball Draft to fall under the Bonus-Slot System. This was new for everyone in the game and the fans. So in 2012 when the Pittsburgh Pirates failed to sign Mark Appel, whom they selected 8th overall, many were concerned about the new system.

Well, because the Pittsburgh Pirates were unable to agree to terms with Mark Appel, they were awarded the 9th overall pick in the 2013 Draft. If a team fails to sign their first-round pick they receive a compensatory selection the following year. So in 2013, the Pittsburgh Pirates had 2 first-round picks inside the top 15.

The team's other first-round selection, their actual pick, was at #14 overall. This gave the team a real chance at acquiring some impact talent. With the 9th overall pick, the team would take prep outfielder Austin Meadows. This was considered a steal as many felt that Meadows would have been off the board by pick #9.

The team then used the 14th overall pick on prep catcher Reese McGuire. McGuire was considered to be the top prep catcher in the Draft class. Many thought that the Pittsburgh Pirates would take McGuire with pick #9, so again it was viewed as a bit of a steal to be able to still get him at #9.