Braylon Bishop
Braylon Bishop
Position: OF
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 193 lbs
Bats/Throws: L/L
Born: 04/23/2003
High School: Arkansas HS (Texarkana, AR)
How Acquired: Draft 14th round, 403rd Overall, 2021
Bonus: $268,700
40-man Roster: No
Rule 5 Eligible: 2025
Minor League Free Agency: 2027
Options Left: 3
Overview
Apart from playing baseball, Bishop was a star at football and track. He has very good speed and is a strong defender in center. He has an average arm. He was thought to have the bat speed to hit for power, but that hasn’t happened as a pro. Baseball America ranked him 88th among draft prospects and MLB Pipeline 94th. Bishop had a commitment to Arkansas. He was expected to be tough to sign, but the Pirates managed to get a deal done even after spending a lot of above-slot money on their top picks. So far, Bishop has had a good deal of trouble with pitch recognition and hasn’t hit much.
2021-23
Bishop played just briefly in the FCL in his first year. He went back there in 2022 and had a disappointing season. He started well, with an .825 OPS in June, but he declined to .708 in July, then cratered at .450 in August. As the season went along, he increasingly struggled with a problem that’s plagued the Pirates at the major league level. He seemed too reluctant to swing and, although he walked a lot, he frequently got into unfavorable counts as well. He also took a lot of called third strikes. It’s also hard not to wonder whether he was impacted by the crowded roster in the FCL, as he never played more than 13 games in a month. The Pirates chose to field only one FCL team despite having a lot of players, which was in keeping with their professed belief that game action isn’t important for development.
Bishop opened 2023 in Bradenton in 2023. He played eight games, went 3-for-27 with 13 strikeouts, and got sent to extended spring training. Once the FCL season started, he spent the rest of the season there. He had about the same season as in 2022, except with a little more power, batting 220/363/341 — the exact same BA and almost the exact same OBP.
2024
Bishop opened the 2024 season at Bradenton, but got hurt in his fourth game. He returned in mid-May and played semi-regularly after that, mostly in left but occasionally in center. He started showing some power, hitting five home runs. His slash line of 206/313/350 left him with an OPS a little below league average. Bishop stole 17 bases and was caught only twice.
Stats
Transactions
July 13, 2021: Drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 14th round, 403rd overall pick; signed on July 27.