The Pittsburgh Pirates under Ben Cherington have had a very specific strategy in mind when it comes to the draft. In both drafts under Cherington, they have gone with a college bat with their first pick, and then have used the rest of the early rounds in stockpiling high upside pitching, and in the case of 2021, prep players.
Last year’s draft was specifically celebrated for how they executed it, saving on first round pick Henry Davis to load up on some of the highest upside players available.
We’ve seen both Nick Gonzales and Henry Davis — although injured — at Double-A this year, which is expected with them being college players.