Pittsburgh Pirates 2024 MLB Draft Review
Following the 2024 MLB Draft, we’re taking a deeper look at each individual draft class. Below, find one overarching takeaway from the draft, plus a full scouting report on the most interesting pick on days two and three. You can see all 30 draft reviews here.
Draft Theme: Athletes & Upside
Many of Pittsburgh’s picks on days one and two stand out for their high-level athleticism, starting with first-round SS Konnor Griffin, who is one of the best pure athletes in the class in addition to having the most pure upside of any player in the draft. RHP Levi Sterling has a quieter athleticism on the mound, but is poised, smooth and controlled in his delivery. SS Wyatt Sanford has elite defensive actions and some of the best glovework in the class, and fifth-round OF Will Taylor is a dynamic runner who also has a background as a college-level wide receiver. There’s hit tool risk with many of Pittsburgh’s prospects, but gaudy secondary tools to dream on.
Most Interesting Day 2 Pick: SS Eddie Rynders, 4th round
Rynders is a physical lefthanded hitting shortstop with a 6-foot-2, 197-pound frame. He has loud tools with his raw power and arm strength, both of which earn future plus grades, and employs a relatively simply left handed swing with a slight uphill path that gets on plane consistently and features a soft hand press back towards the catcher in his load. Rynders is an average runner now and he might slow down in the future as he adds more strength to his frame, which could mean he’s more likely to profile as a power-hitting third baseman. He’s viewed as a late day two or early day three prospect by most teams though it wouldn’t be surprising for those highest on his pure hitting ability to have him further up boards than that. Rynders is committed to Kent State.
Most Interesting Day 3 Pick: RHP Joe Vogatsky, 19th round
The Blue Jays drafted Vogatsky in the 14th round of the 2023 draft, but he opted to return to James Madison for his senior season in 2024. A 6-foot, 215-pound righthander, Vogatsky has developed into a reliable reliever in college and this spring posted a 3.49 ERA over 49 innings with a 22% strikeout rate and 10.6% walk rate. He has a reliever delivery with effort and a sidearm slot that creates some deception on all of his pitches and mostly works with a fastball/slider combo. The fastball averaged 93 mph this spring and will touch 96-97 at peak and his low-80s slider has solid pure spin rates and modest break. Vogatsky also generated some decent miss rates with a slower curveball in the upper 70s and will mix in a mid-80s changeup.
