2020 MLB Draft date, time, channels announced

The 2020 MLB Draft finally has an official start time.

The event, which will be five rounds vs. the usual 40 rounds due to the coronavirus pandemic, begins Wednesday, June 10, at 7 p.m. ET, airing live on both MLB Network and ESPN. This marks the first simultaneous live, primetime coverage of the MLB Draft in the event's history.

Day 1 of the event, June 10, will cover Round 1 plus Competitive Balance Round A, 37 picks in all. The Pirates, then, will have two picks on Day 1: No. 7 overall and No. 31 overall.

From there, coverage continues Thursday, June 11, on MLB Network and ESPN 2, beginning at 5 p.m. ET. Day 2 will start with the first pick of Round 2 (No. 38 overall) and run through the conclusion of the 2020 MLB Draft (Round 5, pick 160).

The Pirates' full slate of picks is as follows:

• Round 1, No. 7 overall

• Competitive Balance Round A/Round 1, No. 31 overall

• Round 2, No. 44 overall

• Round 3, No. 79 overall

• Round 4, No. 108 overall

• Round 5, No. 138 overall

While every pick has the potential to make an impact for the club, eyes are immediately attracted to that No. 7 overall pick for the Pirates. In the past 25 years, that position has brought Hall-of-Fame-caliber players such as Clayton Kershaw in 2006 to Matt White in 1996. The Pirates have the potential to draft a genuine All-Star there, and the pick will also mark the first under the watch of new general manager Ben Cherington, assistant GM Steve Sanders and company.

No pressure.

With two Day-1 picks and another on Day 2 that'll fall within the top 45 at No. 44, though, the Pirates look primed to stock up for the future and to add some quality players into the pipeline. Only the Giants and the Cardinals have more picks in this year's draft, each with seven to the Pirates' six.

Early mock drafts have the Pirates taking left-handed power-hitting outfielder Heston Kjerstad, left-handed pitcher Reid Detmers, and right-handed pitcher Emerson Hancock. Second baseman Nick Gonzales and catcher Patrick Bailey have also been linked to the Pirates at No. 7 overall.

Here are MLB Pipeline's Top 200 prospects to watch.

The full draft order for Day 1 is as follows:

1. Detroit Tigers
2. Baltimore Orioles
3. Miami Marlins
4. Kansas City Royals
5. Toronto Blue Jays
6. Seattle Mariners
7. Pittsburgh Pirates
8. San Diego Padres
9. Colorado Rockies
10. Los Angeles Angles
11. Chicago White Sox
12. Cincinnati Reds
13. San Francisco Giants
14. Texas Rangers
15. Philadelphia Phillies
16. Chicago Cubs
17. Boston Red Sox
18. Arizona Diamondbacks
19. New York Mets
20. Milwaukee Brewers
21. St. Louis Cardinals
22. Washington Nationals
23. Cleveland Indians
24. Tampa Bay Rays
25. Atlanta Braves
26. Oakland Athletics
27. Minnesota Twins
28. New York Yankees
29. Los Angeles Dodgers
30. Baltimore Orioles (first pick of Competitive Balance Round A)
31. Pittsburgh Pirates
32. Kansas City Royals
33. Arizona Diamondbacks
34. San Diego Padres
35. Colorado Rockies
36. Cleveland Indians
37. Tampa Bay Rays (received in trade with Cardinals)