Pittsburgh Pirates Draft: Making a Case for Each of the Top 3 Prospects

Who should the Pittsburgh Pirates draft at the No. 1 overall spot in July? Let's break down the consensus top 3 prospects plus a sleeper pick to see which player would be best fit to don the Black & Gold.

The 2023 MLB Draft is approaching fast, and the Pittsburgh Pirates hold the number 1 overall pick for the second time in the last three seasons. For a large majority of the season, Dylan Crews was the consensus name among experts to be selected in the top slot, but recent reports of Crews' lack of interest in the Pirates, the door has opened for fans & draft junkies to explore the possibility of the Pirates looking away from Crews to bolster their future.

To help fans decide who they'd like to see as the next great player to don the black & gold, let's break down the top 3 draft prospects and a sleeper player to look out for in this year's 2023 Draft Class.

Dylan Crews, OF, LSU - 6'0, 205 lbs., 21 y/o
.426 BA / .567 OBP / .713 SLG
258 AB, 18 HR, 70 RBI, 6 stolen bases, 71 walks

Why the Pirates Should Draft Dylan Crews

Simply put, he has the potential to be a generational talent. He reached base in all 71 of LSU's games this season, showing incredible plate discipline to match his stellar hitting prowess and elite speed. In the outfield, he routinely makes even the hardest plays look like a walk in the park.

He's coming off a Golden Spikes Award (given to the nation's top amateur baseball player) and a win at the 2023 College World Series. Pair this with two SEC Player of the Year Awards and a couple of All-America selections, and you've got yourself one of the most decorated college baseball players of all time.

Why the Pirates Should NOT Draft Dylan Crews

There aren't many reasons why it would make sense not to draft Crews at the number 1 spot, but recent speculation that he doesn't want to play for Pittsburgh may be enough for the Pirate front office to think twice about spending their money and time on a player who doesn't want to be there. Of course, these reports could be smoke and mirrors to raise his price, throw off other teams, or they could just be categorically false altogether, but they do cause some concern for the decision-makers in Pittsburgh.

The Sleeper Candidate - Arjun Nimmala

Arjun Nimmala, SS, HS - 6'1, 170 lbs., 17 y/o
.479 BA / .573 OBP / .904 SLG
89 PA, 35 H, 6 HR, 29 RBI, 9 stolen bases, 14 walks

Dark horse picks are supposed to be fun and unexpected, right? If I just used the 4th or 5th ranked draft prospect, what would be the fun in that? Here's my breakdown of Arjun Nimmala:

Why the Pirates Should Draft Arjun Nimmala

There are a couple of factors that I think make Arjun Nimmala an extremely interesting prospect. The first of these factors is that this kid is 17 years old. He doesn't turn 18 until October and is already considered one of the top three infielders in this year's draft class. Another factor is that the Pirates need help at 2nd base, and Arjun Nimmala can play every infield position. Sure, they just called up Nick Gonzales and 2022 4th Overall pick Termarr Johnson is tearing it up in the minor leagues, but there's no guarantee that either of those guys will have big league success. Nimmala offers a lot of time to develop an already incredible offensive and defensive tool kit, and he's got swagger and charisma that will make him a fan favorite wherever he lands.

Why the Pirates Should Not Draft Arjun Nimmala

The answer here is pretty obvious, and that is that Nimmala is way too big of a risk to spend the first overall pick on, especially in a draft class that is seemingly as stacked as this year is. Nimmala could very well end up having a career better than Crews, Skenes, or Langford, but if the Buccos use the first pick on him, Pirates fans will be storming the front office and calling for the firing of the entire staff.

To recap, I do believe it's a two-man race between Dylan Crews and Paul Skenes for the top pick in the 2023 Draft, but I think it's fun to check out some of the other options and why each player may be a better option than the next. Whatever the Pirates decide to do with the top selection on July 9th, I can't wait to cheer on the future of this franchise.