In case you missed it, the Pirates had the number 1 draft pick this year. Many people who cover the draft thought that Jack Leiter (Al Leiter's son) or Marcelo Mayer would go number 1 overall. The Pirates instead chose to select Henry Davis, a college catcher.
Davis signed quickly and underslot so the team could sign some more elite high ceiling players in the later rounds. The Pirates were able to draft 4 of the top 35 ranked prospects in their first four rounds and they signed all of them. It was an amazing job by new General Manager Ben Cherington and his team.
Henry Davis has quickly impressed fans by already receiving a promotion to High A ball.
In just a few games in low A, Davis was slashing .429/.429/1.143 which is good for a 1.572 OPS and a 284wRC+
He hit 2 doubles and a home run in only 7 games.
This quickly earned him the promotion to High A and he shined in that debut too going 1 for 3 with a walk and triple.
The Greensboro Grasshoppers, the Pirates high A affiliate is loaded with top 100 prospects.
Quinn Prister, the Pirates number 2 prospect, and first round draft pick in 2019 threw 7 scoreless innings while striking out 10 on Friday. He has a 2.80 ERA over his 23 minor league starts.
Nick Gonzalez, the Pirates first round draft pick in 2020, is continuing to recover from an earlier season injury but has come on hot lately going 4 for 5 yesterday.
Liover Peguero, a shortstop acquired in the Starling Marte trade, is a top 100 prospect and the best defensive shortstop in the organization.
Lolo Sanchez continues to swipe bags at a good rate, now sitting at the quarter century mark.
I am excited for the Pirates in the next 3 years.
It reminds me of when the Pirates tore the whole thing down in 2008.
Gone were the days of wasted draft picks like Bryan Bullington. Yes, the Pirates chose Bryan Bullington as the number 1 draft pick and former GM stated after the draft that they saw Bullington as someone who could be a back of the rotation starter.
You don't use the number 1 pick for that!!!!
Zack Greinke, Cole Hamels, Matt Cain, Scott Kazmir, and Prince Fielder were all first round picks that year. Uggghhh.
Other notable early selections were Joey Votto, Jon Lester, Brian McCann, Charlie Morton, Rich Hill, Curtis Granderson, and Josh Johnson.
To say the Pirates botched the 2003 draft would be an understatement. I don't think they botched this draft in 2021.
I am excited for it!!!
Do you display your magazines or keep them in boxes?
Good luck! Hope these guys pan out.
ReplyDeleteI have a box of magazines. Never been one to display them.
I honored Bullington in my Sports Card Bust PC back in 2010.
ReplyDeleteAs for my magazines, I keep them in a box. Wish I had room to display them, but wall space is at a premium in my office. I do keep my SI for Kids sheets in a binder though.
I don't have many magazines, and none on display.
ReplyDeleteNot happy about the draft, as my Mets based everything on getting Kumar Rocker, about whom I was excited (and I even had a card of him already!), then got scared by his medical report and didn't sign him.
Still can't believe the Red Sox landed Mayer so far down the draft...
ReplyDeleteI have a few magazines currently in a box until I can properly display them somewhere.