Pitchers rule on Day 2
Pirates grab all RHPs after SS
Pitching, pitching and more pitching.
A day after taking an infielder with their top pick, the Pirates loaded up on arms Thursday on Day 2 of the MLB draf, choosing four consecutive right-handed hurlers.
If there was any doubt that pitching matters, and the Pirates need more of it, general manager Ben Cherington affirmed that by selecting high schooler Jared Jones No. 44 overall, then three college guys in Nick Garcia, Jack Hartman and Logan Hofmann.
Turns out that Nick Gonzales, drafted Wednesday night at No. 7 overall, was the only non-pitcher out of the Pirates’ six picks, the first draft for them under Cherington.
“We feel really good about where we ended up,” Cherington said.
Jones is only 6-foot-1, 180 pounds, but he has electric stuff, including a 96-97 mph fastball that pairs well with his slider. He made three starts in 2020, pitching to a 0.82 ERA in 17 innings with 28 strikeouts and six walks.
“He’s a plus competitor,” MLB.com draft analyst Jonathan Mayo said. “The fastball-breaking ball combination is really good, especially when he stays on top of that slider. You could see sometimes his elbow gets a little low, and he can get underneath it at times. It can get a little slurvy.
“But it also can be really, really nasty. Changeup is a
little firm, but he shows a feel for it. I think that’s going to come. We’re talking three pitches. He just has to work on his command and control to get to the next level.”
Jones is committed to Texas. He’s also an excellent athlete who hit .457 as a junior in high school.
“We’ve seen Jared for a long time,” said Pirates director of amateur scouting Joe DelliCarri. “Unique athleticism, arm speed, pitches, competitor, a lot of really good traits to like and have liked for a long time.”
There was a similar excitement over Garcia, who they selected in the third round (79th overall) out of NCAA Division III Chapman University in California.
After starting his college career as a position player, the 6-4, 215-pound Garcia enjoyed a breakout sophomore year, pitching to a 0.64 ERA in 30 appearances out of the bullpen with a 9-0 record, 12 saves and 82 strikeouts in 56 innings.
Garcia became a firstteam All-American and was named the D-III College World Series’ most valuable player, starring on the team that won the national title.
Before his junior season was disrupted by COVID-19, Garcia went 4-1 in five starts with a 2.00 ERA, 36 strikeouts and just four walks in 27 innings.
“It’s a great delivery,” MLB.com’s Dan O’Dowd said. “It’s easy gas. There’s rhythm in what he does. He’s got the overhead delivery, which is kind of a throwback. Great extension. Late, hard slider. Great riding life.
“As crazy as it sounds, I saw some John Smoltz in him. I think they’re getting truly a first-round talent in the third round.”
Mayo said the most logical starting point for Garcia would be as a starter, although he said he could also see Garcia eventually transitioning back to the bullpen.
“It’s not often you find a college pitcher with upside,” Mayo said. “I think that he really fits the bill for that. He’s got so much untapped potential. He’s got that great pitcher’s build. I think he’s going to get to that velocity more. Really good secondary stuff. I think it’s all there. And you know that it looks really, really good and everything ticks up if you have to put him in the bullpen.”
The run on college pitching continued into the fourth round, when the Pirates took Appalachian State’s Hartman 108th overall, making what many might view as a cost-saving move considering Hartman is a college senior with little leverage.
Hartman profiles as a setup man and only started pitching full time in 2019, when he had a 4.98 ERA in 20 games. Control has been an issue at times for Hartman, who has reached 97 mph with his fastball and reportedly generates plenty of spin with his curveball.
This past season had been a successful one for Hartman, who had 22 strikeouts and four walks in 12 innings out of the bullpen with a 3.00 ERA and four saves.
Nevertheless, Baseball America had Hartman ranked 286th. MLB.com did not have him on its top 200 list.
“There’s some arm talent here,” MLB.com’s Jim Callis said. “But this has to be some kind of moneysaver.”
A similar sort of move was made by the Pirates in the fifth round, as they took right-hander Logan Hofmann with the 138th pick, selecting the 5-10, 190pounder out of Northwestern State.
Hofmann isn’t a high-velocity guy, as his fastball tops out at around 91 mph. But this past spring at the Louisiana school, Hofmann did not allow a run in 28 innings while producing 38 strikeouts and walking five.
Like a few of their previous picks, Hofmann excelled in the Cape Cod League, becoming an AllStar in 2019.
“The last couple pitchers there, interesting guys with really good stuff,” Cherington said. “It was the combination of stuff and swingand-miss ability. Joe and the group did a great job to put us in a good position, just taking the best guy available.”