MLB Draft 2025: Pirates go college heavy in day two
Pirates draft eight college hitters on day two of the draft
The Pittsburgh Pirates wrapped up day two of the MLB Draft on Monday, making 17 additional selections on top of the four they made on Sunday, giving them 21 new players in the organization.
Today, we will take a quick look at each of the players they selected, and then tomorrow, I will give my overall thoughts on the draft.
College Hitters
This is the group that the Pirates heavily focused on during day two, with eight of their 17 picks coming from this demographic. Adonys Guzman (5th round) has one of the strongest arms in the class from behind the plate and took a step forward offensively. He profiles more as a backup, but if the offense continues to trend up, that may change.
Brent Iredale (7th round) hit 14 home runs and stole another nine bases for a team that made the College World Series. Pipeline gives him an above-average power grade, but just a ‘45’ for his hit tool.
Drafted in the eighth round out of Georgia Southern, Josh Tate posted good numbers in the Cape Cod League, albeit without much power. He hit 12 home runs in his final year on campus. Tate seems more like a hit-over-power profile with some speed. He stole 27 bases in 2024, but was less active this past season.
A recognizable name in the Pirates’ system, they used their ninth-round pick on LSU first baseman Jared Jones, no relation. Power is the name of this Jones’ game, hitting 50 home runs over the past two seasons.
Matt King (10th round) is a senior signing who will likely save the Pirates some slot money. He’s a high contact hitter, batting .403 last year, and struck out just 8% of the time. He also hit 18 doubles.
Another contact-oriented hitter, Dylan Palmer (11th round), is an undersized infielder out of Hofstra. He hit just two home runs during his college career, but stole 82 bases.
Eddie King Jr (16th round) is a power bat from Louisville who hit 17 home runs and 19 doubles in 2025. He projects as a corner outfielder. He struggled with injuries in his first few years on campus, and when he was finally healthy, he put together a solid season.
Playing for Oregon State, Canon Reeder hit .293/.402/.489 with eight home runs in 2025. He didn’t hit a home run in his first two years on campus.
College Pitcher
Jack Anker (6th round) played with Murf Gray at Fresno State. He didn’t put up the best numbers and is more of a ‘kitchen-sink’ type of pitcher. The fastball doesn’t have much velocity, but it has good riding life. He throws five pitches, all for strikes, and owns a 4.6 BB%. He’ll have to find some more swing and miss in his game, but he projects as a back-of-the-rotation arm.
After spending two years at Auburn, Cameron Keshock transferred to Samford for the 2025 season. Standing at 6’7” with above-average extension, Keshock is a sinker/slider from a lower arm-slot pitcher. He also mixes in a change-up, with the secondary pitches the ones he relies on to miss bats.
Dylan Mathieson spent the last two years at Liberty after transferring from California (PA). He struck out 84 batters in 65.2 innings pitched while posting a 5.07 ERA. He spent time at Tread Athletics, where it looks like they helped him get up to the mid-90s with the fastball.
The last player here is an interesting one, as Brandon Cain was drafted in the 19th round out of the University of Oklahoma. He recorded only one out on the mound and played more as a position player. He’s done the majority of pitching at the MLB Draft League. It will be interesting to see how the Pirates utilize him.
Prep Pitchers
The Pirates dug back into the prep pitcher well later in the draft, selecting three more on day two. Connor Hamilton (14th-round) is a Vanderbilt commit who is expected to be tough to sign but has some upside. He has a projectable frame that could add some velocity. He’s been as high as 96 mph, but usually sits 88-90 in longer outings.
Another projectable young arm, McLane Moody (15th-round), already stands at 6’7” and could be another tough sign. He’ll head to Arkansas if he doesn’t sign. He’s been up to 96 mph with the fastball as well, with a breaking ball.
The final pick of the day, Nick Frusco (20th-round), is a left-handed pitcher out of New York. He throws a fastball, slider, and change-up and has a commitment to Clemson. He was up to the lower-90s during the combine, and most believe he’ll get the fastball velocity up as he fills out.
Prep Hitter
Their first pick of the day, Gustavo Melendez (4th-round), is a prep shortstop out of Puerto Rico. He has a smaller frame (listed at 5’8”) but is expected to have an above-average hit tool and should be a solid fielder. The power will be in question, but he packs plenty of bat speed that may help out there.
Drafted out of Minnesota, Carter Gwost (17th-round) is listed at 6’3”, and from the few videos I could find, he already looks like a very physical hitter in the box with some potential raw power. He’s committed to Nebraska at the moment.
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Bucs on Deck: Pittsburgh Pirates Top 30 Midseason Update
We are past the halfway mark of the 2025 minor league season, and it seems like a perfect time for an update on our Top Prospect list, which has been expanded to 30 players.
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OK I'll pay some attention to Dylan Matthiesen, a Calif. of PA pitcher, local PA school. And then transfer to Liberty. And he went to Tread Athletics so that's showing some initiative.
Thanks for these summaries and I like that they drafted multiple college hitters with somewhat similar profiles. If even one becomes an average regular with pop, that's a win.
Speaking of wins, I'd just note that if Anker really "projects as a back-of-the-rotation arm", that's a huge win for a 6th-round pick. Based on draft position alone, we should all feel good if he's just a decent middle reliever.
Overall, I think it's a draft to feel good about but like most drafts, its success will likely come down to whether Hernandez approaches his potential. Of course there are exceptions, like the '21 draft when the top pick or even the top 3 picks don't live up to our hopes but a later pick ends up looking like a top pick.