Chicago Cubs Draft: Ranking the NL Central draft hauls
By Ryan Sikes
1. Pittsburgh Pirates
I am not a fan of Carmen Mlodzinski at the moment, but if you’re the Pirates, landing him after you have already taken Nick Gonzales with the seventh overall pick has to be the icing on the cake. Gonzales was not expected to fall that far, but after the Orioles went full in Baltimore-mode with the second overall pick, the draft significantly changed from then on.
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Entering the second round, the Pirates grabbed Jared Jones out of La Mirada High School. He has a verbal commitment to Texas in the fall but may opt for professional baseball instead. Jones was given a 10/10 grade by Perfect Game, throwing 96 MPH at the 2019 National Showcase.
Ranked as the 41st prospect, according to Baseball America, Jones complements his fastball with an above-average slider that consistently sits in the mid-80s. His changeup remains a work in progress, and he could stand to grow another inch or two. The fastball of his velocity should increase as he continues to fill out his 180-pound frame.
One of the more underrated picks in this draft was taking Jack Hartman out of Appalachian State in the fourth round. He’ll be an excellent addition to the Pirates bullpen, making 20 appearances last season and striking out 26 batters in 21.2 innings.
He was moved into the closer role this year and had already collected four saves before the shutdown. Hartman will need to improve his command, but as a senior, the Pirates know he will sign.