2024 MLB Draft: Pitchers to watch that the Pirates could target

Who are some pitchers the Pirates could be targeting after the first round?

Yesterday, we reviewed the options the Pirates will have with the ninth overall pick, so now we shift to past the first round, specifically at the pitchers.

The Pirates have become quite the pitching factor, with Paul Skenes and Jared Jones in the majors and names like Bubba Chandler, Thomas Harrington, and Patrick Reilly all working their way up in the minors.

MLB Draft 2024: Who will the Pittsburgh Pirates take at 1.9?

You could go level by level right now and find a blue-chip pitching prospect right now.

So, the Pirates have done a fantastic job identifying and developing pitching prospects.

Looking at the 2024 crop of available pitchers, some interesting names could fit the mold the Pirates generally search for in the draft.

Some notable traits that the Pirates have targeted on the mound lately

• Raw, super athletic prospects (think Bubba Chandler)

• Throws from a lower arm angle (Thomas Harrington, Michael Kennedy, Zander Mueth)

• A fastball that plays up in the zone, either due to movement (IVB, VAA) or by pure velocity.

• Bounced between the bullpen and rotation due to control issues (Patrick Reilly, Carlson Reed, Jaden Woods)

• Was injured or dealt with some sort of injury (Khristian Curtis, Hunter Barco)

With that in mind, here are some names that have caught my attention in this draft.

Bryce Meccage, RHP, The Pennington (HS), New Jersey

Baseball America: 71

Future Star Series: 57

I’ve been growing on Meccage, who has ties to the Pirates. The last two Baseball America Mock Drafts have had Meccage go to the Pirates with the 37th overall pick, with MLB Pipeline even joining them at one point.