Pittsburgh has had some success with selections on the second day of the draft<\/a>, such as right-handed starting pitcher Mike Burrows<\/a> in the 11th round in 2018, left-handed pitcher Tyler Samaniego in the 15th round in 2021 and infielder Charles McAdoo in the 13th round in 2023, who the team used in trades the past two seasons.<\/p>\n The Pirates will hope that some of their later picks pan out and also become important parts of the team’s future and there are a few that could do just that.<\/p>\n Tre Phelps Could Be Next Great Pirates Power Bat<\/p>\n The Pirates, surprisingly, landed Georgia slugger Tre Phelps with the 258th overall pick in the ninth round and didn’t hesitate to bring him on.<\/p>\n Phelps earned high rankings from MLB Pipeline (121) and Baseball America (123), but fell almost twice as far into the ninth round, making for an easy selection for the Pirates. <\/p>\n Jun 16, 2026; Omaha, NE, USA; Georgia Bulldogs third baseman Tre Phelps (1) drives in a run on a double against the Texas Longhorns during the fifth inning at Charles Schwab Field. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect<\/p>\n There’s a lot to like about Phelps’ game, but his power is what stands out the most, earning a “55” grade, which projects him as a 25-30 home run hitter, something the Pirates would love him to develop into.<\/p>\n Phelps hit 41 home runs over his three seasons with the Bulldogs, including 19 home runs as a junior in 2026, culminating in a strong year where he batted .348\/.468\/.628 for an OPS of 1.096 in 65 games, leading his team to the SEC regular season and tournament titles and a spot in the College World Series.<\/p>\n He has great bat speed and raw power that make him a player who could end up reaching those lofty projections in the future.<\/p>\n Phelps does have some drawbacks, such as some swing-and-miss concerns, as well as where he ends up playing defensively, with experience at both corner infield and corner outfield spots, but not a defined position yet.<\/p>\n If he can find some footing defensively and hit for power like he did in college, this could end up a really great pick for the Pirates.<\/p>\n A Promising Left-Handed High School Pitcher<\/p>\n The Pirates and any MLB team will always look for great left-handed pitching and they went for it with their selection of Spencer Evans.<\/p>\n Evans was the Pirates’ 11th-round pick, 318th overall, and is already committed to LSU, but there’s good reason they wanted to go after him and try to sign him regardless.<\/p>\n He is a hard throwing southpaw, with a fastball that gets up to around 95-96 mph at just 18 years old and also includes some impressive offspeed stuff in his slider, curveball and changeup.<\/p>\n Loud stuff showing for 2026 LHP Spencer Evans in a quick look today.<\/p>\n Effectively wild but flashed swing-and-miss stuff with the full mix. <\/p>\n FB: 90-94 T95; Heavy \u2014 Ian Smith (@IanSmittyGA) May 12, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Evans stands 6-foot-3, 200 pounds, so he already possesses the build necessary for success at the major league level and can become a domineering presence on the mound.<\/p>\n The stuff is what makes Evans so intriguing, a fastball that he can improve his velocity on to close to triple-digits, plus his offspeed choices that have great movement and break to complement the fastball for strikeouts.<\/p>\n Evans does struggle with command and location of his pitches, not too surprising for a young pitcher and definitely something he would have time to work on, especially if he does sign with the Pirates.<\/p>\n Reinold Navarro<\/a> is another Pirates left-handed pitching prospect with a somewhat similar profile to Evans, a great fastball, but struggles with command.<\/p>\n Navarro’s potential could make him into another great southpaw for the Pirates and Evans could develop into that as well.<\/p>\n An Exciting Left-Handed College Pitcher<\/p>\n Everyone loves a good southpaw pitcher and the Pirates took one earlier in the draft in Ryan Marohn out of North Carolina State in the fifth round.<\/p>\n Marohn has a different angle to his pitch than Evans does, wider and makes it more deceptive, which is something that benefits him with his arsenal.<\/p>\n Yeah, Ryan Marohn knew it.<\/p>\n Marohn picks up his fifth strikeout of the day.<\/p>\n T8 | NCSU 3, CU 1 pic.twitter.com\/VU54hQsJi1<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 NC State Baseball (@NCStateBaseball) April 26, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n He won’t overpower hitters with his fastball, averaging in the lower 90s mph, but unlike a heavy thrower, he has strong control, earning a “60” grade, which allows him to locate pitches better and get strikeouts\/outs overall that way.<\/p>\n Mahorn dealt with some injuries this season, but still posted a 3.18 ERA and 12.3 K\/9 over 45.1 innings, making him a good choice for the Pirates in the fifth round.<\/p>\n Velocity is the biggest concern for Mahorn, as he’ll have to improve it somewhat, even with his pitching profile; otherwise, he’ll rely heavily on command to make him an effective pitcher in the major leagues.<\/p>\n Mahorn likely won’t become the next Chris Sale, but a solid left-handed starting pitcher is a great get for the Pirates if they can help him reach that goal.<\/p>\n Make sure to visit Pirates OnSI for the latest news, updates, interviews and insight on the Pittsburgh Pirates!<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Georgia](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/01kxrh74vm94e752yk5s.jpg\" "\\"Georgia")
<\/p>\n
SL: 79-83; Some tilt
CB: 72-76; 2400+ RPM, depth @LSUbaseball<\/a> commit.@TNXLAcademy<\/a> || @PrepBaseballFL<\/a> @aba_hq<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/mLY7ywCz5C<\/a><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/assets.minutemediacdn.com\/platform\/google_discover_icon.svg\"){kind=icon}
Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow<\/a>