The Pirates took a very interesting path here. Their scouts and front office fell in love with Derek Curiel, but he wasn't quite a top five prospect in the class and in a hard-slotting system like the NFL or NBA, would be a reach at pick #5. Baseball is different, though, so they got their guy and signed him for closer to the value of the #11 pick. With massive savings of over $2 million, they were able to operate from a position of strength for much of the draft, floating down prospects and spending freely when other teams may have been more constricted. That way, they were able to go significantly over slot on each of their next four picks, (plus the eleventh round) including more than $1.2 million over on second rounder Aiden Ruiz. They did, however, leave five picks unsigned in the back half of the draft. This was a hitter-heavy class early, with bats representing four of their first five picks, then pitching virtually all the way from the fifth round on for thirteen of their final sixteen picks (and ten of the eleven that signed). A few high impact bats, lots of pitching depth. Pittsburgh targeted bats who they believe will hit for a high batting average rather than power hitting sluggers, while their pitching selections followed a now standard Pittsburgh theme of long track records and/or buy-low opportunities on arms that were previously much higher on draft boards earlier in their career. They typically draft well but I'm not a huge fan of this class in particular, given that I don't love the upside that came with the over slot signings earned from the Curiel savings. If they're going to go so far under slot at pick #5, I would have liked to have seen some bigger swings than the ones they made, and the fact that they left so many unsigned at the end is not ideal either.
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Note that the number before a player's name indicates their draft position. For example, "2-50" would indicate that a player was taken in the second round with the fiftieth overall pick.
1-5: OF Derek Curiel, Louisiana State
Slot value: $8.34 million. Signing bonus: $6.2 million ($2.14 million below slot value).
My rank: #10. MLB Pipeline: #12. ESPN: #10.
With top names like Drew Burress, Jacob Lombard, and Eric Booth still on the board at #5, the Pirates surprised some people by taking Derek Curiel instead. His $6.2 million signing bonus represented a very large discount, just over the slot value of the #11 pick, but still brings a potential franchise table setter. Curiel was one of the top prep bats in the 2024 class early in the cycle, but didn't light the world on fire during his senior season at Orange Lutheran HS (alma mater of Gerrit Cole and 2026 World Series Champion Garrett Mitchell) and priced himself out of the draft. His polish was immediately apparent the moment he hit Baton Rouge and he hit nonstop from his first day until his last, finishing two years at LSU with 13 home runs and an impressive .349/.452/.522 slash line. He's as professional a hitter as you will find in this class, employing an extremely patient approach that has led to a .452 on-base percentage and a 14.6% walk rate over his two seasons. He's not passive, though, deploying a gorgeous left handed swing to make contact at an elite rate and spray line drives around the field with ease. It's an effortless operation where he simply drops the barrel to the ball and drives through. The exit velocities have crept up during his time in school and he could project for average power if he decided to lift the ball more often, but that's not his game and he'll probably settle in around 10-15 home runs per season. With above average speed, he's a real all-around offensive threat and could develop a Michael Brantley-like profile, potentially with even more walks. The good speed combines with excellent instincts in the outfield to help him project in center field, though his fringy arm would push him to left field if he had to move off center. Curiel is not the most explosive player on the field but has consistently won over critics with his elite feel for the game and effortless success everywhere he has gone. His power output will ultimately determine his ceiling, but it is hard to imagine the Southern California product as anything less than a high on-base, every day outfielder.
2-44: SS Aiden Ruiz, Stony Brook HS [NY]
Slot value: $2.28 million. Signing bonus: $3.5 million ($1.22 million above slot value).
My rank: #44. MLB Pipeline: #32. ESPN: #47.
After saving over $2 million on Derek Curiel, Pittsburgh turned right around and spent more than half of that on Aiden Ruiz, whom they gave just over the slot value of the #27 pick here at #44 to sign away from a Vanderbilt commitment. He had been projected in the back of the first round or in the comp rounds, with his bonus here representing that range. Ruiz is a defensive wizard, representing one of the best in the class with quick everything in the field. He has quick hands, quick feet, and a quick transfer, but never appears rushed and maintains his plus arm strength and accuracy even when getting rid of the ball in a flash. He is the kind of defender that can win Gold Gloves at one of the most important defensive positions, representing a high floor right off the bat. Offensively, he deploys a contact-oriented approach in which he just flicks the bat at the ball to spray it around the field, making very consistent contact across all levels of competition throughout his prep career. Listed at just 5'10", 160 pounds, the power is below average and he will have to work to reach double digit annual home run totals. He has gotten better at following through to generate the impact, but as a very old high school prospect (he turned 19 back in March), combined with his undersized frame, he doesn't offer too much power projection and 10-15 home runs per season seems more like a ceiling than a median projection. He is an above average runner that will make the most of his ability to get to balls all over the zone. Ruiz's age limits his ceiling a little bit as evaluators had to consider him as a college freshman playing high school competition, but at peak he has a chance to play every day as an elite defender providing high batting averages as a bonus.
SUP-51: 2B Chris Rembert, Auburn
Slot value: $1.94 million. Signing bonus: $2.4 million ($459,400 above slot value).
My rank: #56. MLB Pipeline: #47. ESPN: #67.
Pittsburgh unloaded more savings into Chris Rembert, a draft-eligible sophomore who got just over the value of the #42 pick here at #51. Rembert hit the ground running at Auburn, slashing .344/.467/.555 as a freshman, earning Freshman All American honors alongside Derek Curiel and establishing himself as a potential first round pick. He again hit .343 as a sophomore this year, but his walk and power rates dropped and there are differing opinions of his ultimate upside. Firstly, Rembert makes a ton of contact from the right side with a linear, line drive-oriented swing and great zone control. He has hit everywhere he has gone, including torching the Cape Cod League in a short five game sample in 2025 (.429/.478/.952, 8.7% K rate), and there's no reason to think he'll stop in pro ball. He is a sturdy 5'11' with more strength than his sub-six foot frame would imply, helping him register high exit velocities that would project for above average power in a vacuum. That power has played down in games, including just four home runs in 2026, as his swing is more geared towards line drives and likely always will be. There is some Seaver King and Eric Brown in the offensive profile, with a chance to hit 10-15 home runs per season with high batting averages. If the Pirates can get him to elevate a little more without sacrificing contact, the ceiling becomes even more appealing. The Pensacola native is an average athlete with average defensive tools across the board, projecting as a bat-first second baseman who can get the job done in the dirt but may not make many highlight reel plays. As a draft-eligible sophomore, he's a bit on the younger side and only turned 21 the week before the draft, adding some intrigue.
3-80: RHP Jason DeCaro, North Carolina
Slot value: $1.04 million. Signing bonus: $1.3 million ($264,300 above slot value).
My rank: #108. MLB Pipeline: #133. ESPN: #97.
Jason DeCaro fits the Pirates mold of having a long history with scouts as a high-end draft prospect. He graduated early from St. Anthony's High School on Long Island, just fifteen miles from where Aiden Ruiz played high school ball at Stony Brook HS. Despite still being just 17 years old when his freshman season started, DeCaro saw immediate success against much older competition and immediately claimed a rotation spot at UNC. Three years, 53 starts, and 270.1 innings later, he has never relinquished that rotation spot and finished 26-7 with a 3.46 ERA and 247 strikeouts as a Tar Heel, the vast majority of which came as a teenager. His profile is a tough one to crack because despite the immediate and sustained success, his stuff never really took a step forward in Chapel Hill and to this day he still lacks a putaway pitch. The fastball sits in the low 90's and touches 97, albeit with ordinary life that doesn't miss too many bats. The slider shows nice bite at times to miss bats and has played well in college, though he doesn't always locate it, while his curveball is a half step behind and probably profiles as fringy in pro ball. He can really pull the string on an above average changeup to round out his arsenal, though it was better earlier in his college career and at this point looks more like an average pitch. The command and control come and go, though there is reason to believe he'll end up above average in that regard. DeCaro has long known how to work through a lineup and execute in and out of the zone, and in fact his higher walk rates may have been partially by design because he gets most of his swings and misses out of the zone. Pro hitters will lay off more of those chase pitches so in order to succeed in pro ball, he will need to find a way to miss more bats in the zone. At this point, his secondary stuff doesn't quite have the crisp bite to do that. The 6'5" righty already has the size and feel for pitching, so finding a way to bring his secondary stuff forward and turn one or two into putaway pitches will bring him closer to his ceiling of a mid-rotation starter. The development of those secondary pitches will ultimately determine his ceiling, where youth works on his side but perhaps not trajectory.
4-108: OF Andruw Giles, Basic HS [NV]
Slot value: $725,900. Signing bonus: $997,500 ($271,600 above slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: #157. ESPN: #155.
With their next splurge, the Pirates gave third round money to fourth rounder Andruw Giles to sign him away from an Oregon commitment. Giles is on a strong positive trajectory following an impressive senior season and has a chance to be a very strong all-around contributor. He uses a compact, direct left handed swing that makes him a line drive machine in games, getting straight to the ball with little wasted movement. Listed at 6', 195 pounds, he is not an imposing physical presence but packs more power than you'd expect for his size. He produces solid raw power in batting practice and impressed at the MLB Draft Combine in June, and while the power plays more fringy in games, the Pirates believe he can grow into at least average power in time. That should put him at a 15-20 home run projection with the chance to add that to solid batting averages and a few stolen bases. The Las Vegas-area product is an above average runner with a shot to stick in center field, adding to his upside. If he loses any speed with age or gets pushed by a more explosive defender, he may be destined for a corner which would put more pressure on the bat. He has solid arm strength and could grow into plus in that regard if he can get through some elbow troubles he's been having this year. There's a chance for five average or better tools, which depending on your definition of a five tool player, could be just that.
5-140: LHP Ryan Marohn, North Carolina State
Slot value: $532,000. Signing bonus: $532,000.
My rank: #121. MLB Pipeline: #149. ESPN: #177.
Ryan Marohn is another arm that fits the Pirates mold with a long track record at a buy-low time. He immediately took on a big role at NC State as a freshman, then took a step forward as a sophomore with a 3.38 ERA and a 91/19 strikeout to walk ratio over 85.1 innings in 2025. He entered the draft cycle a fairly highly regarded prospect and pitched well to start the season, but biceps and forearm problems slowed him as the season moved forward and ultimately shut him down in April. The stuff remains loud. The fastball sits in the low 90's and touches 95, not overwhelming velocity but its carry helps it miss more bats than you'd expect. He gets big break and great finish on his curveball and slider, which lack the power and sharpness to profile as true bat missers in pro ball but which surely keep hitters off balance. His above average changeup might be his best pitch, playing nicely off his fastball with fading action that is difficult to pick up. The 6'2" lefty creates great deception with a funky delivery that hides the ball well, making all of his stuff play up and helping him strike out 33.5% of his opponents in 2026, a very high number for a pitcher without premium velocity or breaking stuff. It wasn't just a case of him beating up on weaker non-conference schools, as he still struck out a third of his opponents in ACC play showing the stuff will play up. Marohn pounds the strike zone as well, further helping that stuff play up as he effectively executes to both sides of the plate. The command regressed a bit in 2026 as his walk rate jumped from 5.4% as a sophomore to 11.9% as a junior, which the Pirates will attribute to the nagging arm issues he dealt with during the season. The Northern Virginia product will have to get healthy and prove his durability to make it as a big league starter, while his lack of a true putaway pitch might cap his ceiling a little. If he moves to the bullpen, his fastball could tick closer to the mid 90's and any added power on his breaking balls will really go a long way.
9-258: 3B Tre Phelps, Georgia
Slot value: $214,800. Signing bonus: $202,500 ($12,300 below slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: #121. ESPN: #230.
Tre Phelps is another buy-low candidate for the Pirates. He hit campus in 2024 and immediately set the world on fire, hitting .353/.441/.699 with 12 home runs and earning First Team Freshman All-American honors from Perfect Game. He entered the 2025 draft cycle a potential first round pick as a draft-eligible sophomore, but his approach unraveled in 2026 as his strikeout rate doubled from 9.3% to 18.9% and his offensive impact was more good than great. He still ranked #136 on my draft board as a potential fourth or fifth round pick, but high bonus demands sent him back to Georgia to try to build back his stock. The production returned, with a career-best 19 home runs and .468 on-base percentage, but not enough to make up for being another year older with many scouts seeing a tweener profile. The draw is obvious here. Phelps has an explosive right handed swing that can produce plus power at his best, but he has often tried to do too much at the plate and hasn't accessed it as much as teams would like, with the power playing more average overall. An extremely aggressive hitter, he made a ton of contact as a freshman both in and out of the zone that year but pitchers turned his approach against him as a sophomore. He dropped that strikeout rate back down to 13.3% as a junior, but remains an aggressive hitter who will be susceptible to quality offspeed stuff out of the zone in pro ball. All of the pressure will be on Phelps' bat, as three years into school he still doesn't have a position. He has played all over the field in Athens but hasn't stood out anywhere, with fringy athleticism, actions, and arm strength in the infield that make third base a stretch and a true best case scenario. He more likely ends up in left field or at first base, where as a right handed hitter he'll really have to hit to provide value. The Atlanta native has a long track record at Georgia including 41 home runs and a .339/.442/.617 slash line across 157 games and if the Pirates can clean up his approach, his contact/power combination should play well.
13-378: RHP Griffin Stieg, Virginia Tech
Slot value: up to $150,000. Signing bonus: $150,000.
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. ESPN: unranked.
Another buy-low candidate, Griffin Stieg hasn't performed well in a few years but brings big league starter upside. He joined the Hokies bullpen as a freshman in 2023, then stepped into the rotation as a sophomore in 2024 where he showed very well, pushing into early round conversations. Instead, he missed his junior season with Tommy John surgery, but still went to the Mariners in the eighteenth round. He had been committed to transfer to Alabama if he couldn't come to terms with Seattle, but surprisingly, he spurned both the Mariners and the Tide and returned to Virginia Tech in 2026. Things didn't go so well in his return to Blacksburg, unfortunately, with a 7.46 ERA that stemmed from allowing four or more runs in more than half of his starts. Stieg has a low 90's fastball that touches 97 at peak, normally working more in the lower end of that velocity band with running action from a low slot. He adds a sweeping slider in the low 80's and a solid changeup, making for a solid three pitch mix that he commanded very well back in 2024. That year, he had just a 5.7% walk rate as he effectively worked east west and kept hitters off balance. Things unraveled for him when he returned from surgery in 2026 and his walk rate doubled to 10.4%, which is still not a terrible number but was enough to cause his stuff to play down when behind in the count. If the Pirates can get him back controlling counts, he has a chance to become a back-end starter, or they can leave him in the bullpen and let his stuff tick forward. The 6'4" righty has plenty of size and throws from an easy, repeatable, low three quarters delivery that would play well in either role.
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