For the Pittsburgh guys
Pittsburgh Pirates
Draft Philosophy: Show that the new administration is in it to win it by focusing on talent and ceiling instead of dollar figures.
First Pick: Pedro Alvarez, 3B, Vanderbilt (Second overall)
How High He Could Have Gone: He was in the mix for the first overall pick for much of the year, but was always sort of a long shot there, behind Tim Beckham and Buster Posey.
Path To The Big Leagues: Alvarez could probably hold his own offensively in the big leagues right now, and won’t take long to get there.
Rest of the First Day:
2. Tanner Scheppers, RHP, Fresno State: A top-ten pick before mysterious shoulder injury; if he returns to form, he’s a steal.
3. Jordy Mercer, SS, Oklahoma State: Fits well into template of new-breed big and athletic shortstops, but doesn’t produce much offensively.
4. Chase D’Arnaud, SS, Pepperdine: Not a true shortstop, but he offers a good combination of offensive skills, with an above-average bat and power potential.
5. Justin Wilson, LHP, Fresno State: A sinker/slider guy who could turn into back-of-the-rotation piece.
6. Robbie Grossman, OF, Cy-Fair HS (TX): He's a switch-hitter with nice tools, but he's a bit rough around the edges.
Best Second-Day Selections:
7. Benji Gonzalez, SS, Puerto Rico Baseball Academy (PR): A great glove/weak bat shortstop with lots of athleticism.
13. David Rubinstein, OF, Appalachian State: He's a good athlete with average-or-better tools across the board.
15. Chris Aure, LHP, North Pole HS (AK): This long-armed lefty is raw but has some projection, and that may be the best high school name ever.
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