Pirates' top pick signs, pro debut likely Friday

Pittsburgh Pirates signed 2015 first-round pick Kevin Newman on Monday at PNC Park in Pittsburgh.Other than one time in Little League, Kevin Newman figures, he always played shortstop. He grew up admiring Derek Jeter from the country in Poway, Calif., wearing No. 2 in honor of the longtime New York Yankees shortstop.

“Of course in Little League you want your athletes where the ball’s going to go,” Newman’s father, John, said. “So he was always at short.”

That worked until he reached Poway High School, where he waited a year to join the varsity team because another player had shortstop locked down. That was Connor Joe, Newman’s neighbor, who played at the University of San Diego before the…