A look at possible Pirates 1st-round picks as GM Ben Cherington keeps it a guessing game

When Ben Cherington conducted a call on Zoom last week to discuss the MLB Draft, the Pittsburgh Pirates general manager was jokingly asked to divulge the team’s first-round target.

“If you want to tell us who we’re taking,” Cherington said, “you have as good a guess as I do, probably, at this point.”

To say the Pirates are playing their hand close to the vest with the No. 7 overall pick Wednesday is an understatement. Various mock drafts have them taking a college infielder, a college outfielder, a college right-handed pitcher, a college left-handed pitcher and a high school right-hander.

Those projections don’t even address their greatest organizational need. The Pirates don’t have a catcher in their top 30 prospects, so it’s a position they are expected to address with one of their early picks even if it’s not their top choice.

This is Cherington’s first draft as Pirates GM and his first opportunity to build the club for the future. Where Neal Huntington took a high school pitcher in the first or supplemental round the past four years and on the first day in eight of 11 drafts, Cherington could put a personal stamp on the Pirates by pointing them in a different direction.

If Cherington tipped his hand in any way, it’s when he called college pitching a “strong demographic” this year, saying it was “deeper.”

“I think there’s college pitching that will go after the first round that is pretty good,” Cherington said, “so that feels like a strength.”

The Pirates have two selections Wednesday, when the MLB Draft will be televised virtually starting at 7 p.m. on ESPN and MLB Network. In addition to their first-round pick, they also have an additional choice (No. 31 overall) in the competitive balance round. Rounds 2-5 (the Pirates are No. 44) will be conducted starting at 5 p.m. Thursday.

Here’s a look at potential Pirates picks:

2020 MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR: NICK GONZALES ⚾

He was on a different level!#AggieUp // #AggieAwards pic.twitter.com/T2WneJWiSY

— NM State Aggies (@NMStateAggies) May 26, 2020

Nick Gonzales, 2B, New Mexico State: A 5-foot-10, 190-pounder who played shortstop this spring, Gonzales is renowned for his bat and plate discipline. He hit .347 and was named Western Athletic Conference freshman of the year, and followed that by hitting .432 as a sophomore. It was what Gonzales did in the Cape Cod League wood bat summer league (.351/.451/.630) that made a strong impression on scouts. He slashed .448/.610/1.155 with 12 home runs and 11 more walks than strikeouts in 16 games this season, and finished his career with an 82-game streak of reaching base. If there’s a knock, it’s that Gonzales isn’t considered a great defender and that he’s already at his ceiling.

"I was just trying to compete and that's all I've tried to do everywhere I've gone. Whether it was the first at-bat at Arkansas or Team USA, I just get in the box and compete." - @hestonkjerstad pic.twitter.com/exGEPYPa1N

— Razorback Baseball (@RazorbackBSB) June 9, 2020

Heston Kjerstad, OF, Arkansas: A left-handed bat that projects well at PNC Park, Kjerstad (pronounced KERR-stad) slashed .343/.421/.590 with 37 home runs and 129 RBIs in two-plus seasons. He hit six homers with 20 RBIs this season. One red flag is his 65 strikeouts against 21 walks as a sophomore, a terrible ratio that should scare analytics-minded scouts.

DRAFT SPOTLIGHT: Emerson Hancock (@PBRGeorgia)

With 5️⃣ days remaining until the #MLBDraft, we highlight No. 5 Hancock

Features a mid-90s FB, plus-plus CH at 85-86. Physically resembles Corey Kluber

Draft Board Reports, brought to you by @bigleaguechew: https://t.co/nTaya71UPz pic.twitter.com/sF8uXQEVPS

— Prep Baseball Report (@prepbaseball) June 5, 2020

Reid Detmers, LHP, Louisville: The 6-foot-2, 210-pounder turned down a $2 million offer from the Atlanta Braves, who drafted him in the 32nd round in 2017. An All-American considered college baseball’s most polished pitcher, Detmers was 3-0 with a 1.23 ERA and 48 strikeouts in 22 innings this spring, and his 284 career strikeouts ranks fourth in school history. He was 13-4, with a 2.78 ERA as a sophomore, when he set a school record with 167 strikeouts. Detmers doesn’t rely on velocity — his fastball sits at 90-92 mph — but possesses a nasty curveball and changeup.

DRAFT SPOTLIGHT: Emerson Hancock (@PBRGeorgia)

With 5️⃣ days remaining until the #MLBDraft, we highlight No. 5 Hancock

Features a mid-90s FB, plus-plus CH at 85-86. Physically resembles Corey Kluber

Draft Board Reports, brought to you by @bigleaguechew: https://t.co/nTaya71UPz pic.twitter.com/sF8uXQEVPS

— Prep Baseball Report (@prepbaseball) June 5, 2020

Emerson Hancock, RHP, Georgia: A power arm with a fastball that touches 99 and three off-speed pitches, including a swing-and-miss slider, the 6-4, 213-pounder is considered a high-ceiling prospect. Hancock was 8-3 with a 1.99 ERA in 14 starts as a junior, striking out 97 while giving up 18 walks and a .185 batting average against. He was 2-0 with a 2.75 ERA, 34 strikeouts and three walks in four starts this season.

In our latest mock draft, there's a run on the top prep talent in the teens.

The Red Sox land Mick Abel, our top-ranked high school arm.

He's shown significant velo gains this spring in bullpens.

Full mock draft: https://t.co/WW30io8ozD pic.twitter.com/vullbux7eo

— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) June 5, 2020

Mick Abel, RHP, Portland (Ore.) Jesuit High School: The 6-5, 185-pounder is an Oregon State recruit whose stuff has been described as “electric” and “smooth.” He spent this spring throwing bullpen sessions with catcher Adley Rutschman, the 2019 No. 1 overall pick. Abel has a fastball that sits in the mid-90s and touches 100 mph and an elite-level slider. He had a 1.26 ERA with 111 strikeouts in 72 1/3 innings as a junior, when he led Jesuit to the Class 6A state title and was named the state’s Gatorade Player of the Year in 2019 and ‘20.