Will Pirates Draft This Slugger In Tonight’s MLB Draft?

Tonight marks the MLB draft. Who will Pittsburgh be taking with their first round pick?

Last season, the Pittsburgh Pirates were tied for the ninth-worst record in the MLB. They were tied with the Cleveland Guardians but weren’t as lucky in the draft lottery to get the No. 1 pick as the Guardians did and ended up with the nine pick. 

The Pirates’ pitching has been great this season, while the offense has been lacking. In order to improve the offense for the future, Mike Axisa of CBS Sports believes that the Pirates will be selecting outfielder James Tibbs III from Florida State with the ninth pick. 

“The Pirates are a difficult team to pin down,” Axisa said. “I have to think there is at least a little pressure on the front office to really nail this pick and get a player who can contribute soon now that Paul Skenes and Jared Jones are in the big leagues and dominating. Recent top 10 picks Nick Gonzales (No. 7 in 2020) and Henry Davis (No. 1 in 2021) have yet to provide the desired impact. Tibbs offers Grade A power potential and could help whichever team selects him in short order.”

Tibbs played three years while at Florida State. In all three seasons with Florida State, Tibbs batted .300 or better and hit double-digit home runs. He was also a Cape Cod League All-Star and Home Run Derby Champion in 2023. 

With the offensive issues that the Pirates have been dealing with this season, picking an outfielder who slashed over .300 and hit 28 home runs this past college season would surely be an interesting prospect.

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