MLB Draft 2025: Pitchers to watch outside the first round

Intriguing 2025 draft eligible pitchers

Photo Credit: MLB.com

We already took a look at the potential options the Pittsburgh Pirates will have with their first-round pick, so over the next couple of days, we will explore some of the hitters and pitchers I like that should be available the rest of the way.

Today, we will look at the pitchers. There were a few different approaches I took to grouping them. Obviously, the Pirates generally take at least one prep arm in the draft, generally giving them an over-slot deal to sign.

That will be one group here.

The others will focus on college pitchers, which generally represent the largest group of players that will be taken. With the help of TJStats, I was able to identify some pitchers with outlier fastball characteristics, something that multiple players I’ve spoken to in the Pirates system mentioned was discussed during the evaluation process.

They’ve also taken some swings at some pitchers with great stuff but poor control in hopes of reeling things in (Khristian Curts). I also added a few pitchers who were primarily relievers in college, but possess traits that could make them ideal candidates to be stretched out as starters (Carlson Reed and Garrett McMillan).

Prep Pitchers

Under Ben Cherington, the Pirates have had quite a bit of success when it comes to drafting and developing high school pitching. Jared Jones was a second-round pick in 2020 and was one of the top rookie pitchers in the NL last year.

Bubba Chandler has emerged as one of the top pitching prospects in baseball. Michael Kennedy had a couple of solid seasons in the system before he was traded. Zander Mueth was the FCL Pitcher of the Year last season.

Levi Sterling is a super young, projectionable starter who is playing the Complex right now.

There is no shortage of examples in the system currently, and there are several options to add to that in this draft.

Here are six names that stood out to me. I gave priority to this list to players with some sort of video available to the public, just so I could formulate my own opinion on them before reading multiple scouting reports. I have two players that I couldn’t find any, but all the write-ups I read on them were encouraging enough to add them.