The Pirates last made the MLB Postseason in 2015. Since then, Pittsburgh’s gone through significant personnel changes and a lengthy rebuild. However, the fruits of that rebuild have come to Pittsburgh in recent years. Among the returns include two of the game’s best young hurlers. Here’s a look at the Pirates’ best and worst MLB Draft picks of the last 10 years.
Best Pirates Draft Picks Over Last 10 Seasons
| Name | Position | Year Drafted | Round | Career bWAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Connor Joe | OF | 2014 | 1 | 3.6 |
| Mitch Keller | P | 2014 | 2 | 5.8 |
| Jordan Luplow | OF | 2014 | 3 | 2.0 |
| Kevin Newman | SS | 2015 | 1 | 4.8 |
| Ke’Bryan Hayes | 3B | 2015 | 1 | 13.4 |
| Shane Baz | P | 2017 | 1 | 2.7 |
| Jared Triolo | 3B | 2019 | 2 | 3.4 |
| Carmen Mlodzinski | P | 2020 | 1 | 1.5 |
| Jared Jones | P | 2020 | 2 | 1.8 |
| Paul Skenes | P | 2023 | 1 | 5.9 |
The Pirates did well in 2014 and 2015, landing several solid contributors. Connor Joe took a bit to develop but eventually became an everday player thanks to above-average plate discipline. Joe posted BB% rates north of 10% every year from 2020-24.
Mitch Keller showcased great swing-and-miss stuff in the Minors but got hit hard in his first run as a MLB pitcher. Keller added a sinker in 2022 and found considerable more success. The 28-year-old logged 150 or more innings every year from 2022-24 and struck out a career-high 210 in 2023.
Ke’Bryan Hayes was picked by Pittsburgh a year after Joe and Keller. Hayes was a dynamic MLB Draft prospect. He could hit, field, and had MLB bloodlines, as his father was former Phillie Charlie Hayes.
Hayes’ bat hasn’t been elite at the MLB level. The former first-round pick had an OPS of just .698 over his first five seasons. But, his glove certainly is elite. Hayes has a career +58 Outs Above average at third per Statcast. He won his first Gold Glove Award in 2023.
While Hayes has the most bWAR among Pirates drafted in the last decade, that might not hold. Pittsburgh drafted a pair of pitchers who could blow past Hayes over the coming years.
One of those names is Jared Jones. The Pirates got Jones to forego a commitment to Texas, a move that worked swimmingly for Pittsburgh. Jones developed into a strong power pitcher who struck out 132 batters in 2024 after he made the Pirates’ Opening Day roster.
Then, there’s Paul Skenes. Skenes meteorically rose to the top of the 2023 MLB Draft after he dominated college hitters with a triple-digit fastball and slider. The former LSU ace needed only a few months before he joined the Pirates and dominated in his rookie season. Skenes struck out 170 over 133 innings, third-most from May 11 (his MLB debut) onward.
The only two with more? Tarik Skubal and Chris Sale.
Worst Pirates Draft Picks Over Last 10 Seasons
| Name | Position | Year Drafted | Round | Career bWAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cole Tucker | SS | 2014 | 1 | -2.6 |
| Kevin Kramer | SS | 2015 | 2 | -1.0 |
| Will Craig | 1B/3B | 2016 | 1 | -0.7 |
| Steven Jennings | P | 2017 | 2 | Never played in MLB |
| Calvin Mitchell | OF | 2017 | 2 | -0.4 |
| Connor Uselton | OF | 2017 | 2 | Never played in MLB |
| Travis Swaggerty | OF | 2018 | 1 | -0.2 |
| Sammy Siani | OF | 2019 | 1 | Never played in MLB |
The Pirates largely had success with getting their first-round picks to the Majors. Between 2024-21, all but one — Sammy Siani, who’s still in the Pirates’ system — who signed made it to the Majors. However, some also didn’t have success.
Pittsburgh’s 2014 first-round pick, Cole Tucker, struggled to hit at the MLB level. Across parts of six MLB seasons, Tucker hit .213/.266/.316 with five career home runs. He’s extended his career thanks to his defensive versatility. But, he never developed into that first-round caliber talent.
The Pirates couldn’t land big with Will Craig, part of a tough 2016 draft for Pittsburgh. Craig was a very good power bat at Wake Forest but only hit one home run in the Cape in 2015. He showed flashes at times but wasn’t a producer in the Majors, hitting .203/.261/.281 with the Bucs before he left for Korea in 2021.
Travis Swaggerty, the 10th overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft, only has nine MLB at-bats to his name. However, Swaggerty’s story is incredible, one that includes his wife’s fight with a rare blood cancer and his own injury issues, which included a bout of vertigo. Pittsburgh didn’t hit big with anyone with that MLB Draft yet, although second-round pick Braxton Ashcraft could change that.
It’s still too early to put another notable top Pirates draft picks in this section, including Quinn Priester and Henry Davis.
Priester was dealt by Pittsburgh to Boston for infielder Nick Yorke in 2024. The right-handed pitcher has only thrown in 21 Major League games.
The same sentiment applies to Davis (-2.0 bWAR), the first overall pick of the 2021 MLB Draft. Davis only accrued 377 plate appearances in the Majors, although his career numbers (.191/.283/.307) are ugly. Particularly, his strikeout (30.2%) and whiff (30.3%) numbers.
Draft picks who did not sign are included in these lists. bWAR figures as of October 2024. Check out how other NL Central teams, including the Brewers and Cubs, have done in the MLB Draft over the last 10 years.