Comments on: Sound Buc-ing Smart: Pirate Draft Preview

By: Mike Bradley

Mike Bradley — Tue, 05 Jun 2018 20:19:09 +0000

You can see a lot of my thoughts here: https://twitter.com/ballsandgutters

I like what they’re doing. Hogland gets pluses across the Board from FG. Ashcroft gets two pluses and a double plus for his frame. Kaiser sounds like Mercer, down to being a stud hoops player. Shortridge is a May birthday with projection. Koch sounds like he had an awesome sophomore year and down junior year so we might have bought low on him.

All and all I like so far. Especially is Ashcroft signs.

Here’s the FG board: https://www.fangraphs.com/scoutboard.aspx?draft=2018mlb&type=0&pos=all&team=all

By: Joe

Joe — Tue, 05 Jun 2018 14:39:57 +0000

Circling back! Any thoughts on Hoglund? By FanGraph’s account, he appears to be the 25th youngest in the class. That fits the M.O. you had mentioned above.

I think Ashcroft is above your threshold, but still 45th youngest in the class. Looks like a couple of projectable righies.

Any players you’re looking at/hoping for on Day 2?

By: Joe

Joe — Fri, 01 Jun 2018 16:48:10 +0000

I guess I never even thought to look at that! I love the analysis that goes in to the draft: MLB, NFL, or otherwise. I think it’s extremely interesting (and can be frustrating, if you were locked into Justin Reid for the Steelers, for example).

I’ve honed in, as I said on the projectable, hard throwers in HS as that has been the team’s M.O. But considering a change in philosophy to RPMs I like that Stewart brings both sides of the coin. I like Liberatore for his baseball IQ and ability to pitch coupled with being a lefty.

Your analysis has me intrigued by other, younger (for their stage) players and I’ll go back to the drawing board a bit!

By: Michael Bradley

Michael Bradley — Fri, 01 Jun 2018 15:01:15 +0000

Thanks for the compliment.

I think age relative to class is SO important to the Pirates. High schoolers who are still 17 or barely 18 when drafted or college guys at 20/21 seem overshoot expectations. Trout, lindor, judge are MLB examples; while meadows, Glasnow and Kuhl are Bucs ones. November 1999 makes many of those guys old for their class while Hankins is May 2000. Gorman is May I think too. That means a lot to the Pirates, but Braves too. Braves are probably gonna pick who the Bucs really want. Checkout Shame Baz’s Bday when you get a chance.

By: Joe

Joe — Fri, 01 Jun 2018 12:53:41 +0000

I’d personally love for the Pirates to go HS bat @ 1-10, but it seems all signs point to Prep Pitcher. According to 247, they’ve seen all of Stewart’s outings this year and FanGraphs says they’re all in on a Prep Pitcher. Do you have any insight that they may be going bat? Your logic is sound, but doesn’t mean theirs is!

I’ve been resigned to the fact that it’s a prep arm based on the above references, so I’ve been hoping for Liberatore as my 1A) and Stewart as my 1B), then hoping they collect bats w/ the comp pick and the other early round picks.

If it’s Gorman, Liberatore, or Stewart, this question is moot, but any indication that they’d reach on a guy to sign them underslot to bolster the pool for later picks?

Lastly, thanks for this write up! I’ve been starved for draft content through a Pittsburgh lens. This was fantastic.