Pittsburgh Pirates
Day One
Round 1, Overall 10 – Travis Swaggerty, OF, South Alabama
Round 1s, Overall 36 – Gunnar Hugland, RHP, Florida HS
Round 2, Overall 51 – Braxton Ashcraft, RHP, Texas HS
As they do seemingly every year, the Pirates put a strong focus on their first day, bringing in Swaggerty, who was considered the top college bat by many coming into the season and still had a solid season on the year, just not to the level of a few others that pushed ahead of him. Hoglund and Ashcraft were both excellent arms that some may have argued were taken ahead of more talented arms, but both fit what has been a model of Pirate pitcher that seems to do well in their development system.
Day Two
Round 3, Overall 86 – Connor Kaiser, SS, Vanderbilt
Round 4, Overall 114 – Aaron Shortridge, RHP, California
Round 5, Overall 144 – Grant Koch, C, Arkansas
Round 6, Overall 174 – Michael Flynn, RHP, Arizona
Round 7, Overall 204 – Brett Kinneman, OF, North Carolina State
Round 8, Overall 234 – Zach Spears, LHP, Miami Ohio
Round 9, Overall 264 – Logan Stoelke, RHP, Louisiana Lafayette
Round 10, Overall 294 – Mike Gretler, 3B, Oregon State
After getting some higher-priced guys on day one, the Pirates used the second day of the MLB draft to get all college players. Koch is a favorite with his excellent eye and big power and a chance to stick behind the plate. Spears is a guy to watch that could be very interesting at 6’7″ with a low 3/4, nearly-sidearm slot that gives his low-90s fastball a different look and movement than most see along with different break on his breaking stuff than most are used to as well.
Day Three
Round 11, Overall 324 – Michael Burrows, RHP, Connecticut HS
Round 12, Overall 354 – Zac Susi, C, Connecticut
Round 13, Overall 384 – Zack Kone, SS, Duke
Round 14, Overall 414 – Daniel Amaral, OF, UCLA
Round 15, Overall 444 – Jonah Davis, OF, California
Round 16, Overall 474 – Colin Selby, RHP, Randolph-Macon
Round 17, Overall 504 – Brad Case, RHP, Rollins
Round 18, Overall 534 – Michael Lopresti, RHP, St. John’s
Round 19, Overall 564 – Will Kobos, RHP, George Washington
Round 20, Overall 594 – Conner Loeprich, RHP, St. Mary’s
Round 21, Overall 624 – Will Gardner, RHP, Carson-Newman
Round 22, Overall 654 – Jason Brandow, OF, California HS
Round 23, Overall 684 – Tyler Miller, SS, Alabama HS
Round 24, Overall 714 – Cam Alldred, LHP, Cincinnati
Round 25, Overall 744 – Luke Mangieri, OF, Bradley
Round 26, Overall 774 – Ethan Paul, 2B, Venderbilt
Round 27, Overall 804 – Ryan Haug, C, Arizona
Round 28, Overall 834 – Nick Patten, 1B, Delaware
Round 29, Overall 864 – Giovanni DiGiacomo, OF, Florida HS
Round 30, Overall 894 – Jack Herman, OF, New Jersey HS
Round 31, Overall 924 – Chase Lambert, SS, Pepperdine
Round 32, Overall 954 – Dean Lockery, 2B, Central Connecticut State
Round 33, Overall 984 – Joe Jacques, LHP, Manhattan
Round 34, Overall 1014 – Davis Sharpe, RHP, Georgia HS
Round 35, Overall 1044 – Justin Harrer, OF, Washington State
Round 36, Overall 1074 – Emanuel Andrews, OF, California HS
Round 37, Overall 1104 – Lavoisier Fisher, OF, Georgia HS
Round 38, Overall 1134 – Brendt Citta, OF, Kansas
Round 39, Overall 1164 – Cody Smith, RHP, Charleston Southern
Round 40, Overall 1194 – Jake Mielock, RHP, Colorado Mesa
The Pirates third day of the 2018 MLB draft was filled with a lot of college filler type of players, but they could have a gem even in that group in Davis, who has tremendous raw power but needs to calm down his swing some to make enough consistent contact to access that power.
Overall Outlook
The Pirates struck hard in the first day, as is their typical nature, and their focus heavy on college in the next two days of the MLB draft should give them some future pieces of a roster, but it likely doesn’t lead to high-upside guys breaking through. That isn’t the Pirates’ strategy, however, as they look to invest in that upside early in the draft.