With 4 Day 1 picks, Bucs stay focused on best players available

Going into the Draft, there was plenty of buzz about how this was a deep class for collegiate pitchers. There’s also a clear and present need for offense if the Pirates want to become competitive in the near future.

With that in mind, naturally, Pittsburgh ended up taking two high school pitchers with its first two picks.

It’s unwise to draft for need or to chase trends, and really the only proven successful model is taking the best player on the board. The Pirates did that when they took Seth Hernandez -- one of the best right-handed high school pitching prospects in recent memory -- with the No. 6 overall pick, and then fellow California high school righty Angel Cervantes in the second round with pick No. 50. They did collect two collegiate bats later in the night: third baseman Murf Gray with their Competitive Balance Round B pick (No. 73) and catcher Easton Carmichael in the third round (No. 82).

“We're going to take the best player available,” general manager Ben Cherington said over Zoom. “We thought we did with our first two selections. Felt pretty clearly about that, and we love the potential that Murf and Carmichael bring us with the third and fourth picks tonight, and we'll have more opportunities tomorrow.

“Obviously, as you referenced, we have to create more offense in Pittsburgh. We're just going to have to attack that in every way possible. It doesn't have to come through the top of the Draft. We're thrilled to get these two young pitchers in the system, and we'll just continue to attack the offense, solving that offensive issue in different ways."

Here are the three players the Pirates took to round out the first day of the Draft.

Angel Cervantes, RHP, second round (Pick No. 50 overall)

• Bats/throws: R/R
• School: Warren High School (Calif.)
• Calling Card: Cervantes’ fastball sits in the low-90s, but gets spin and carry to help it play up in the zone. The changeup is the real calling card here, labeled as a 60-grade offering by MLB Pipeline, getting whiffs because of its depth.
• Quote: “In as far as his ability to manipulate the baseball, pound strikes, compete on the mound, four pitches, he does a lot of really, really good things that make him interesting. He’s an awesome kid, too. He is super nice and quiet a little bit off the field, but on the field, this kid is an elite competitor.” -- director of amateur scouting Justin Horowitz

Murf Gray, 3B, Competitive Balance Round B (Pick No. 73 overall)

• Bats/throws: R/R
• School: Fresno State
• Calling Card: A big-bodied slugger, Gray will need to develop in pro ball, but has pull-side power, hitting 18 home runs and 22 doubles this season. He also has a big arm -- 60-grade, according to MLB Pipeline -- that should help stick at the hot corner.
• Quote: “He hits the ball really, really hard. Crushes balls. It’s just about leveraging his impact a little bit deeper in games and optimizing his contact points, getting to better ball fly. That’s how we can really tap into some big power potential. Murf is a super strong kid, a super hard-working kid. We are really excited about his offensive upside. Defensively, he’s a third baseman. He’s got an incredible work ethic. He’s really focused on improving on that side of the dirt, as well. He was actually a Gold Glove finalist this year, too. A guy with an all-around skillset and even more upside when he gets into a player development system.” -- Horowitz

Easton Carmichael, C, third round (Pick No. 82 overall)

• Bats/throws: R/R
• School: Oklahoma
• Calling Card: Carmichael had a big showing in the Cape Cod League last year, batting .299 with a .496 slugging percentage in the wooden bat league, en route to being the league’s All-Star Game’s MVP. A well-rounded player, MLB Pipeline gave him 50 grades for his hit, run, field and throw tools.
• Quote: “He’s a great athlete. He’s strong. He’s versatile. He’s got really good lower-half strength and he’s explosive. There is some upside there, but we are definitely focused on him with his catching ability. We think he can definitely do it. He provides power back there. We are going to give him every opportunity to prove that he can be a legitimate catching prospect in our organization.” -- Horowitz