2010 Draft results so far

The 2010 Draft was one loaded with potential, but its success rests on its ability to sign the top two picks: Jameson Tallion and Stetson Allie. Both are not expected to sign until the deadline. There are a lot of other Top 200 talent guys that also have yet to sign. So the book is still largely unwritten, but now is the time to examine who is already in the system for the Pirates.

Tyler Waldron, 5th round, is the highest pick to sign so far. He was formerly a starter and the a bullpen guy at Oregon State. He was put into the State College Spikes where he has done rather well as a starter. He is 0-1 in 4 starts with an 4.76 ERA, but he has a 13:4 K:BB ratio. That is pretty good. I am not sure he has what it takes to be a starter long term in the organization, but considering his struggles in his junior year at Oregon State, these are encouraging numbers.

Vincent Payne, 12th round, signed on the same day as Waldron out of Junior College. Payne slipped into the GCL Pirates, but has not done well. He has a big 6.43 ERA and has given up more hits than innings pitched. His K:BB ratio is 3:2. A slow start to say the least for this 12th round guy.

Bryce Weidman, 14th round, is also a JuCo pitcher. He has had much better success with a 1.50 ERA in two starts and one relief appearance. However he has a 2:2 K:BB ratio, which is not really good for upward projection. Still his ability to avoid hits is a good sign.

Matt Curry, 16th round, was a graduate of college and is right now the highest position player signed by the Pirates as a First Baseman. He did not sign until June 28th, so his appearances are low yet. In 8 games and 31 At Bats he has a robust .323 Avg at State College. Even better is that 6 of his 10 hits have been doubles. He is even a perfect 2 for 2 in stolen bases. Curry could be a real prospect. His work in the College World Series shows he knows how to play and perform under pressure.

Justin Bencsko, 20th round, and is another senior this time playing the outfield. Bencsko has played more games since he signed earlier, but is hitting only .188 at State College. He has shown to be strike out prone with 15. The lone bright spot is his 10 walks and only 1 fielding error.

Adalberto Santos, 22nd round, was yet another senior in the later rounds taken and put right into State College. He was put in the outfield although he appears to have played 2nd base at Oregon State. So since he appears to learning a new position it is of note that he has a no errors. He is also the only player hitting better than Matt Curry. He has a .329 AVG and a .909 OPS. He has more walks than strike outs (14 to 9) and is 7 out of 9 in Stolen bases. The outfield is crowded in the Pirate organization, but this guy looks to be around for now.

Justin Howard, 24th round, is perhaps my favorite pick so far. Howard hit an amazing .456 for New Mexico. Bucco Fans secured an adjust stat for the hitter friendly stadium and he is still hitting above .400. His glove is bad, but one has to think that Howard makes the First base position crowded in the Pirate minor league system. He had a late season injury in college that could have caused his draft stock to fall and appears to have kept him out of playing time for any Pirate farm system so far.

Casey Sadler, 25th round, from JuCo is pitching for the Spikes out of the pen. He has 2 appearances and has a 3:1 K:BB ratio, but has allowed 9 hits in 5 innings.

Kevin Kleis, 27th round, JuCo pitcher also out of the pen. He just signed on July 7th, so no stats for this one yet. He is only 18 right now, so he could be a prospect with the right development. Appears to have strike out potential.

Matt Skirving, 30th round, is a catcher coming out of college early. He is hitting .302 for the Spikes with a couple of doubles and a triple. He has 6 walks to 7 strike outs, so that is a good sign. His 2 errors might spell trouble, but he has time to work in the defense. However, Pirate fans are not in a mood to put up with catchers that cannot catch or throw out runners (Paulino and Doumit and even Jarmillo).

Jason Townsend, 31st round, is a pitcher coming out early. He has come out of the pen 3 times for the Spikes to get a 1-0 record and an 1.80 ERA. He has a 2:1 K:BB ratio. Nothing stellar here, but nothing disappointing either.

Chase Lyles, 32nd round, happens to be a JuCo third baseman. He is hitting .289, but leads the team with 3 HRs and tied for the team lead with 2 triples. This glimmer of power makes Lyles a hopeful. The 3 errors means his defense is still being worked on.

Justin Ennis, 33rd round, comes out of the NAIA, which I admit I have little knowledge about how NAIA guys project. He is a lefty pitcher which always is a good place to start. He has 6 appearances and has a 2-0 record for State College. He also has a decent 5:2 K:BB, but gives up a lot of hits and runs. His 6.10 ERA has to come down for Ennis to be a bullpen prospect.

Kelson Brown, 34th round, is a JuCo short stop playing for the Spikes. He is hitting .309, but has 10 strike outs, but garnered 11 walks. A nice start for the young man. Considering how weak the middle infield is for the Pirates, he has a chance to impress.

Cliff Archibald, 36th round, is a JuCo pitcher throwing now for the GCL Pirates. He has three innings over two games and has exactly one strike out and one run allowed. A little early to make much out of this guy. Probably just a filler for the Pirates organization. He is listed as James Archibald on MiLB.

Kevin Decker, 39th round, is a graduate of College of Charleston. And he is turning out to be the steal of the draft. Currently holding the best ERA in all of the Pirate farm system at 2.42, he is anchoring the State College staff. He leads the team with 14 strikeouts and has only given up 6 walks. Decker looks like a real prospect. I hope to see him in West Virginia before the year is out.

Bryton Trepangnier, 41st round, is the highest prep player to sign so far. It is a little odd for prep guys this deep in the draft to choose the pro route, but who am I to question. He signed on the 5th of July and has not been assigned to a minor league team yet. He is a pitcher.

Logan Penvy, 49th round pick, is in the same boat as a prep pitcher who forsook college for the pros. His was more of a spite move since the college he committed to fired the coach. He too is a recent signing, so no stats. Yet, the Pirates have promised to pay for 4 years of a state college when his career is over. A nice thing, and a bit unusual for a 49th rounder. Maybe he has some real potential.

So it looks like the Pirates have some real good stuff here so far. Decker is the highlight so far, but Santos and Curry are doing great, and Lyles’s power could be what the doctor ordered for a very light hitting Pirate franchise even in the minors. Waldron looks good and as a 5th rounder is living up to expectations. The Pirates also have Howard’s great bat waiting for his injury to heal. I am sure the Pirates have more signings coming. Tallion and Allie are the necessary pieces. One would be disappointed if 3rd rounder Rojas got away. Then there are several other prep pitchers the Pirates would love to ink like Kingham and others. If you add those guys to this mix, I think the Pirates have done well in this draft.