Pirates Hope To End College Bat Drought

PITTSBURGH—Every organization has blind spots when it comes to drafting. One of general manager Neal Huntington’s staff has been an inability to select productive hitters from the college ranks.

The Pirates picked Pedro Alvarez and Jordy Mercer in the 2008 draft, Huntington’s first. But since then, Brock Holt is the only college bat to post 300 major league at-bats.

Admittedly, college bats hasn’t been a key target of the Pirates. From 2009-2014, Pittsburgh had 23 picks in the top three rounds, only six times did they select a four-year college hitter.

Those were catcher Tony Sanchez (first round, 2009), first baseman Alex Dickerson (third round, 2011), outfielder Barrett Barnes (supplemental first round, 2012), shortstop JaCoby Jones (third round, 2013), third baseman Connor Joe (supplemental first round, 2014) and outfielder Jordan Luplow (third round, 2014).

That philosophy appears to be changing. Pittsburgh selected college bats with three of its top four picks in 2015 and two of its top three signed picks in 2016.

And the early returns on some of those hitters are encouraging. Two college hitters, both first-round picks, are currently ranked among the Pirates’ top 10 prospects—shortstop Kevin Newman, selected in 2014 from Arizona, and third baseman Will Craig, taken in 2016 from Wake Forest.

Newman is in line to be the heir apparent to Mercer, who can become a free agent following the 2018 season. Newman finished last season at Double-A Altoona and has hit .295/.362/.396 in his first two professional seasons.

Craig debuted short season at short-season West Virginia and hit .280/.412/.362, albeit with just two home runs.

PITTBURGERS

•Andy Barkett was promoted to Triple-A Indianapolis manager from assistant minor-league hitting coordinator. He replaces Dean Treanor, who was hired by the Marlins as bullpen coach. Barkett played 17 games with the Pirates in 2001, his only major league experience.

• Two minor-leaguer managers received promotions for 2017. Michael Ryan moves up to Altoona from high Class A Bradenton and Wyatt Toregas will take over at low Class A West Virginia (Charleston) after being the skipper at short-season West Virginia (Morgantown).

— John Perrotto is a freelance writer who has covered baseball since 1988