The Pirates wrap up day three of MLB Draft with 10 more selections
Pirates end up with a near split of hitters and pitchers.
The third day of the MLB draft came and went, with the Pittsburgh Pirates adding 10 more names to the system.
In years past, they’ve taken one more big swing at a prep kid, either as a backup plan or if they believe they have some extra pool money to work with.
With how the beginning of the draft went, it wasn’t likely they had much room to work with. One or two names may get more than the standard $150,000, which will go against the pool limit.
Here’s a look at the 10 picks they made and whatever information I could find on them.
Jacob Bimbi: LHP, Western Kentucky
He is a former JUCO transfer who played a year at Tennessee before finishing his college career with Western Kentucky. He posted a less-than-ideal 6.09 ERA but struck out 71 batters in 54.2 innings pitched (27.5%). Facing Dallas Baptist, a top-10 team in the country then, Bimbi struck out eight in 5.2 innings while picking up the win.
A bullpen session video had him throwing 92 mph with the fastball, with the pitching having 16” of horizontal break to it.
Zander Mueth and Carlos Castillo are two notable prospects in the system who rely more on horizontal movement on their fastballs than carry. Another video, this one from 2022, has Bimbi sitting around 88-91 while topping out at 92-93.
Camden Janik: C, Illinois
This was one of my favorite picks of day three. I thought the Pirates could use some extra catchers, and although I had initially hoped they’d come a little sooner, I think they ended up with a pair of solid backstops (Derek Berg on day two).
Future Star Series mentions that Janik is one of the ‘most impressive bat-to-ball artists in the country.’ He struck out just 4.1% of his plate appearances during his final season at Illinois.
Janik hit .336/.440/.534 with 18 home runs and more walks (66) than strikeouts (47) in 120 games in college. Maybe he doesn’t have the best power projection, but he makes a lot of contact, and this profile plays a lot better behind the plate than anywhere else on the field.
Matt McShane: RHP, Saint Joseph’s (PA)
McShane, a reliever with Saint Joseph’s, posted a 3.95 ERA with 57 strikeouts in 43.1 innings pitched this past season. He was sometimes a bit wild, walking 18, hitting eight, and throwing another six wild pitches.
There’s a lot of effort in the delivery, so he’ll probably stick in the bullpen, but he did have a good run in the Cape Cod League against wood bats. In 19.1 innings pitched, McShane struck out 25 while posting a 1.40 ERA.
His fastball reportedly tops at 96 mph, and he throws two breaking balls. The curveball is perhaps his best pitch, at least from the little video I have seen.
Ian Farrow: OF, Florida Gulf Coast University
Farrow had an interesting college career. He played at Florida Gulf Coast for two years before transferring to Miami as a junior. He only played one season there before returning to FGCU as a senior and being drafted by the Pirates in the 14th round.
He combined for 32 extra-base hits in 47 games this past season and hit three home runs at the beginning of the year in a weekend series against TCU. He slugged .750 in his senior season.
There seems to be some power potential here, although it comes with some built-in swing-and-miss.
Ethan Lege: 3B, Ole Miss
His senior season was cut short due to an injury (fractured thumb), but Lege still managed to lead Ole Miss in batting average, slugging, doubles, and hit-by-pitch (he sounds like a Pirates prospect already).
Lege hit .323/.424/.645 with 13 home runs, 11 doubles, and walked (22) more than he struck out (16).
He was the team’s starting third baseman in 2023 before shifting to the outfield this past season. Lege has played parts of three summer league seasons in the Texas Collegiate League, having some success.
An older signing, Lege will be 24 by the time the 2025 season starts, but given his success in the SEC, he should be able to get pushed fairly quickly.
Brian Curley: RHP, VCU
A draft-eligible sophomore committed to play at Georgia next year, Curley may require over the $150,000 standard slot amount for players after the 10th round, if only by a little.
As a reliever for VCU, Curley struck out 78 in 78.1 innings pitched while posting a 2.87 ERA in 19 appearances. He had a perfect 6-0 record and picked up three saves.
His fastball can reach 96 mph, and it looked like it had some good carry on it, so it would make sense the Pirates were targeting him.
Andrew Patrick: OF, Wright State
Patrick had a fantastic sophomore season with Wright State, hitting .326/.433/.703 with 20 home runs, 21 doubles, and 31 stolen bases. Baseball America called him a ‘tooled up outfielder’ with a solid frame and a chance to play center field due to his above-average speed.
There are some swing-and-miss concerns, and his swing may cause issues with some top-end velocity, but Future Star Series thought he had top-100 upside.
If he can return to his 2023 form, this pick has some upside.
Jake Shirk: RHP, Wright State
The Pirates double-dipped on Wright State players, taking their Friday night starter in Shirk. The numbers weren’t eye-popping, but Shirk has had some success in college.
In 2023, he was named the Pitcher of the Week after posting a one-hit shutout against Oakland. He throws from a low three-quarters arm slot (a Pirates special) and throws a 92 mph sinking fastball that has reportedly gotten up to 95.
He didn’t strike out much, but he doesn’t walk a lot, either. Shirk also throws a slider and change-up, the latter Baseball America mentions is his best swing and miss offering.
Joe Vogatsky: RHP, James Madison
Vogatsky, JMU's closer, was drafted by the Blue Jays in 2023 but opted to return to school for another season.
He has a funky, high-effort delivery that adds some deception. Future Star Series likes his fastball but mentions that, given its traits, it doesn’t get the swing and miss that it should.
The Pirates could really help with that. They’ve helped multiple prospects with their fastball as far as ‘using it correctly’ based on their shape metrics and analytics.
His fastball has peaked at 97 while averaging 93 this season. He also throws a slider, curveball, and change-up.
This is a ‘Pirates pitching lab’ experiment, who, with the right tweaks, could become an interesting reliever prospect to watch.
Taylor Penn: RHP, Woodford County HS
For good measure, the Pirates took another prep player with their last pick. He’s committed to Western Kentucky, so he’s someone who could get signed despite being a prep player.
He has a solid frame (6’5) and throws from a lower arm slot. A bullpen session had his fastball with over 18” of horizontal break to it. He was also a two-way player in high school but was announced as a pitcher.
At least from the video in 2023, it looks like there is some strong life to the fastball, and the velocity is already trending in the right direction.
When it comes to the Pirates and prep pitchers, if they take one, there is probably something there that they think they can work with.
Taking one in the 20th round, will be a test to that, if they can get him signed.
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OT, but Domingo German opted out of his deal with the Pirates. He wasn't pitching all that well in AAA.
There’s a good piece on several of the draft picks at Dejan’s site. Most interesting part is on Hartle, who had the big sophomore season then tanked as a junior. Says he tried to change his delivery to get more velocity and messed himself up. That ought to be correctable.