Underrated Pittsburgh Pirates draft picks from the 2024 class

Who are some underrated players from the Pittsburgh Pirates' 2024 draft class fans should keep their eyes on?

Pitcher Gavin Adams delivers the ball during District 12 3A championship high school baseball action as St. John Paul II hosted American Heritage in Boca Raton, Fla., on Thursday, April 29, 2021.
Pitcher Gavin Adams delivers the ball during District 12 3A championship high school baseball action as St. John Paul II hosted American Heritage in Boca Raton, Fla., on Thursday, April 29, 2021. | THOMAS CORDY via Imagn Content Services,
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Matt Ager

The Pirates’ sixth-round pick was right-handed pitcher Matt Ager. Ager was taken out of UC Santa Barbara, and the Pirates may have gotten a massive steal with this selection. The right-hander was ranked as the 104th-best prospect in the draft by Baseball America and the 135th-best by MLB Pipeline. The Pirates took Ager 167th overall.

Ager split his 2024 season between the bullpen and rotation, appearing in 24 games with nine starts, working to a 4.01 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, and 2.11 K:BB ratio. Ager walked 9.9% of the batters he faced with a 20.8% K%. However, he was not home run prone, and had a 0.57 HR/9 through 62.2 innings pitched. Batters rarely cashed in on his careless mistakes.

Ager’s 2024 season might not jump off the page, but he was a lot more effective in his sophomore campaign when he had a 3.12 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, and 4.42 K:BB ratio in 92.1 IP. During that season, he struck out 30.3% of opponents, posting a walk rate of just 6.8%, and limiting home runs well with a 0.49 HR/9 rate.

The right-hander sits in the low 90s with his fastball, topping out around 95-96, but he commands it well. His low-80s slider is an above-average offering with plus potential. According to Baseball America, his fastball and slider were his primary pitches, but he’ll also mix in a 12-6 curveball and a changeup. He has a feel for both pitches. Ager is a large presence on the mound, standing at 6’6” and 225 pounds.

MLB Pipeline’s Jonathan Mayo and Jim Callis recently named Ager as the best sixth-round steal of the 2024 draft. He was a borderline top 100 draft prospect according to Baseball America and a top 150 draft prospect in MLB Pipeline's estimation. While his 2024 season wasn’t as promising as his 2023 campaign, he still has the talent to be a noteworthy draft pick.

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