The Pirates completed the MLB Draft yesterday taking eight more pitchers in their final ten picks, making a total of 16 arms and 5 bats in the 20 rounds. In addition to infielder Termarr Johnson, who they took with the fourth overall selection on Sunday, they chose ten right-handed pitchers, six left-handers, a two-way players who can pitch and play infield, a catcher, and two outfielders.
Eighteen of the 21 choices the Pirates made in the draft were college players.
General manager Ben Cherington said that while the team was aware that it is well-stocked in position players and not in pitching, it was a “coincidence” that they went heavy with arms in the draft.
For the second straight year, Cherington chose a two-way player in the third round After last year taking pitcher /infielder Bubba Chandler, who might be the break-out star of the Pirates minor league system this year, the Bucs’ third round draft choice this year was Notre Dame third baseman/pitcher Jack Brannigan. Cherrington says it’s more about Brannigan’s talents than their success with Chandler.
Cherington also says the Pirates did not plan to emphasize college players over high schoolers.
There is always extra attention paid to a team’s 11th round draft choice, since that is the first round that is not subject to the draft pool salary slots. Teams typically take a chance of players with high upside that could pay off but some risk that allowed them to drop out of the top ten. With their 11th round choice, the Pirates took a Division III pitcher, Dominic Perachi, who this season was 9-1 with an ERA of 1.00, 120 strikeouts and only 20 walks in 71-and-two-thirds innings for Salve Regina University in Rhode Island.
The Bucs return to action at PNC Park on Friday night against the Miami Marlins.
