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.