No bat, no cleats, no problem for Pierce, who wins over Rays before Draft

BOSTON -- Daniel Pierce showed up to the Rays’ pre-Draft workout at George M. Steinbrenner Field under less-than-ideal circumstances.

His original flight was canceled, so he landed in Miami around 2 a.m. before getting on a 5 a.m. flight to Tampa. His luggage was lost at the airport, so the only baseball gear he had was the glove he kept with him on the plane. The 18-year-old shortstop out of Mill Creek (Ga.) High School wanted to show that he was talented enough to potentially be the No. 14 overall pick -- and he had to do it with someone else’s bat and cleats.

Pierce joked that the workout experience was “designed to scare me.” As it turned out, it really impressed the Rays, who began a busy, five-pick night on Sunday by selecting Pierce with their top pick in the 2025 MLB Draft.

“He walked in, and he was calm as could be. He was just laughing about it. He shrugged it off,” Rays amateur scouting director Chuck Ricci said. “He went out there in spikes -- I'm not even sure they fit him -- and not his own stuff. You know he's a good infielder when he traveled on the plane and didn't check his glove.

“To be honest, the way he handled that, for me, was a big plus.”

Pierce, MLB Pipeline’s No. 13 prospect, is the top-ranked player from Georgia and the No. 6 prep shortstop. A right-handed hitter and thrower, the 18-year-old has modeled his game after Royals superstar Bobby Witt Jr., especially his speed, grit and hustle.

Ricci said Pierce’s “plus” defense and contact hitting are his greatest attributes. He also has plenty of speed, and he packed some power into his profile as the spring went along, with room to add more as he continues to grow physically. Pierce described himself as someone who has “a chance to be a true five-tool player.”

As a senior, the 6-foot, 185-pound Pierce slashed .451/.605/.939 with eight home runs, 10 doubles, 18 steals and 33 walks compared to nine strikeouts. A late bloomer physically who continued to add muscle in high school, Pierce could develop into a 15-homer threat.

“I think I’ve got a chance to swipe a lot of bags and hit for a little bit of juice, and then in the field, I think I'm an all-around defensive player, too, that's going to stick at shortstop and try to win a few Gold Gloves there,” Pierce said Sunday night. “So I just think I'm an all-around player that tries to help the team win in any way.”

This was the Rays’ highest first-round pick since they took Brendan McKay fourth overall in 2017 and the fourth time in the past five years they have used their top pick on a high school position player. They did so last year, selecting outfielder Theo Gillen 18th overall. They also went with a prep hitter in 2022 (first baseman Xavier Isaac) and ‘21 (shortstop Carson Williams).

The No. 14 pick comes with an assigned slot value of $5,313,100, a significant chunk of Tampa Bay’s overall bonus pool of $14,068,800, the ninth-largest pool in this year’s Draft.

Scouts expect Pierce to get the most out of his ability, fitting the classic profile of a coach’s son. Because, yes, Pierce played for his dad, Paul Pierce, at Mill Creek High. (Paul is not the former NBA star, although Pierce said LeBron James followed his dad on Twitter for two minutes after the same mistaken assumption.) Paul was an assistant for three years before becoming the head coach.

Pierce said he spent so much time in coaches’ offices growing up that even other coaches call him “Coach Pierce Jr.” The Rays, including area scout Luke Harrigan, got to know Pierce and picked up on something quickly: In an industry dominated by travel ball and showcases, Pierce has learned the value of practice.

“I think there's no doubt in the offseason, Daniel Pierce is going to be doing everything he can when he's away from us to get better,” Ricci said. “Makeup matters. It matters to me, and it matters to this organization.”

Pierce said the Rays were his “dream landing spot,” given their track record when it comes to developing prospects. He had a feeling they might pick him going into the night, and he tried his best to keep the secret when he found out before Tampa Bay was officially on the clock.

But Pierce couldn’t suppress a smile. All this after he showed up for his workout with nothing but a glove?

“That just makes the story even better,” Pierce said.

Pierce was the first of Tampa Bay’s five Day 1 picks. Here are the others.

Competitive Balance Round A, No. 42: Brendan Summerhill, CF, No. 16 Draft prospect

• Bats/throws: L/R
• School: Arizona
• Calling Card: The 6-foot-3, 200-pound outfielder has the strength and athleticism to make an impact on both sides of the ball. He has a mature approach, evidenced by his .343/.459/.556 slash line (with 12 more walks than strikeouts) as a junior at Arizona. That offensive profile, plus his strong arm, could play in right field, where he played for the Wildcats. But he played center field in the Cape Cod League, and he would be even more valuable as an up-the-middle defender with his offensive upside.
• Quote: “Really good bat-to-ball skills. Very projectable, athletic body. He's far from the finished product, but on both sides, offensively and defensively, I think he's really heading in the right direction and I think he's just starting to kind of find his stride as a player.” -- Ricci

Round 2, No. 53: Cooper Flemming, SS, No. 82 Draft prospect

• Bats/throws: L/R
• School: Aliso Niguel High School (Calif.)
• Calling Card: Stop us if you’ve heard this one before: The Rays picked an athletic, projectable shortstop early in the Draft. Flemming is tall (6-foot-3) and thin (190 pounds), with a strong arm and a real chance to hit from the left side of the plate. The Vanderbilt commit could be an above-average hitter as a professional, and he has the raw power and average speed to round out his offensive profile. He has a simple setup, good mechanics and a solid approach at the plate that should play well at the next level.
• Quote: “To be honest, the big drawing card with Cooper: really good makeup. Our area [scout], Jaime Jones, we had a workout in Southern Cal with some of the top players out there, and Cooper really impressed -- not just with his bat-to-ball skills, but just his maturity -- and there was no doubt he was ready to take on the challenge out of high school and start his professional career.” -- Ricci

Competitive Balance Round B, No. 67: Dean Moss, OF, No. 56 Draft prospect

• Bats/throws: L/R
• School: IMG Academy (Fla.)
• Calling Card: Moss was practically in the Rays’ backyard, having been at IMG Academy since he was in the eighth grade, but he was also all over the summer showcase circuit. Moss is most highly regarded for his hit tool, which graded out as a 55, according to MLB Pipeline. With plus bat speed and an all-fields approach, Moss has shown impressive bat-to-ball skills with his left-handed swing. He’s more of a hitter than a power hitter at this point, but he has some pull-side power to tap into as he matures and develops.
• Quote: “Really feel like, with all of his experience traveling around the country, playing at a high level, he's more than ready to start his career. He's been on our radar for quite some time.” -- Ricci

Round 3, No. 86: Taitn Gray, C/OF, No. 92 Draft prospect

• Bats/throws: S/R
• School: Dallas Center-Grimes (Iowa) High School
• Calling Card: Gray has big-time power, with arguably some of the most pop in this year’s high school class, and he put on a show during batting practice at the Draft Combine. Pair that with his overall athleticism, his switch-hitting and the possibility that he could work behind the plate as a catcher, and his appeal is obvious. Gray produces legit exit velocities and bat speed, and he has a solid frame at 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds. The Oregon recruit will need to refine his game behind the plate, of course, but his bat could play as a corner outfielder.
• Quote: “Most guys with this kind of raw power don't have the contact skills that Taitn does. We're excited to start working defensively. We think his makeup is really going to allow him to continue to develop, whether that be in the outfield or behind the plate, but we're going to give him every chance to catch.” -- Ricci