In years past, the Major League Baseball amateur draft would already be completed by now, and teams would be shifting their focus to signing their picks.
Instead, the draft will take place over All-Star weekend in Denver, from July 11-13, giving teams about another month to prepare.
And they're happy to take that extra time.
"I'm glad we had the extra month,” Ben Cherington said Saturday. “It's really important, obviously, for us this draft, and having the extra month, more time to prepare, is really important.”
The Pirates will pick first overall in this year’s draft. The field of players they are considering is narrowing, the draft team will start their meetings at the end of the month.
While a final decision hasn’t been made, the Pirates are down to four choices for that first overall pick: High school shortstops Marcelo Mayer (the best draft prospect available, according to MLB Pipeline’s most recent rankings), Jordan Lawlar (No. 2) and, according to MLB Pipeline’s Jim Callis, Kahlil Watson (No. 4). Louisville catcher Henry Davis (No. 5) is also in that mix.
Most recent mock drafts have had the Pirates selecting Mayer.
The two most discussed pitchers, Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker, were ranked third and sixth, respectively, though the Pirates are leaning towards a position player.
While those four players’ seasons are over -- Louisville didn’t earn an invitation to the College World Series this year -- that doesn’t mean the scouting process is over for those four. If anything, the extra time gives the Pirates the opportunity to have one-on-one meetings with these players, and other potential picks for other rounds, just ahead of the draft, something that normally doesn’t happen. Usually, teams get a chance to have those individual meetings before the player's season starts, but then don't get to again before draft day.
“We have started to do that, and as more seasons end, we'll do more of that,” Cherington said. “That's important. Just trying to learn as much as we possibly can.”
There will also be talent showcases for players and the new MLB Draft League, which will have more traditional game environments ahead of the draft. But those individual conversations will go a long way as the Pirates make there
But it’s not just about the first overall pick. The Pirates have the largest draft pool bonus of any team this year at $14,394,000. They can spend roughly $15.1 million without facing any penalties. It gives them an opportunity to add significant impact talent throughout the three-day draft.
“There's a lot of good players in this draft,” Cherington said. “We have got to make a good selection. We'd like to make 21 good selections. They're all important."
