After a grueling first day of the draft, the Pirates brass was more than happy to walk away with consensus No. 1 pick Mark Appel at No. 8 and Barrett Barnes in the supplemental round. With day two off and running, the Pirates were up with pick number 69 and 103. After taking two college players, the Pirates went with two high schoolers in the second and third round.
First up was Wyatt Mathisen. Mathisen was considered one of the top high school catchers in the country. Although he played a lot of shortstop this year, Mathisen is thought to be a true catcher throughout his pro career. That is, if he decides to sign. Mathisen is committed to University of Texas. If you are a Pirates fan, this can’t come as a surprise. Mathisen joins Josh Bell, Colton Cain and Robbie Grossman as former Longhorn commits and if Mathisen signs, the Longhorns are really going to start to hate the Pirates.
As a senior for Calallen High School in Texas, Mathisen hit .433 with 13 home runs and 40 RBI. Baseball America ranked him as the 25th-best position player and the 47th-best overall prospect in this year’s draft.
In the third round, the Pirates selected Jonathan Sandfort. Sandfort is committed to the University of Florida, but the 6’5 220 lb. righty could forgo his commitment and sign with the Pirates. Sandfort is a hard-throwing right-hander, which obviously the Pirates love. He’s topped out at 94 mph on his fastball and with time in the organization, his development should only allow him to hit that number more consistently.
Sandfort was rated 255 by Baseball America and with the new CBA in place, he could be a challenge to sign. With Appel, Barnes and Mathisen in front of him, Sandfort could go either way.
Photo credits: Michael Zamora
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