7-15-24 – By Corey Shrader – @CoreyShrader on X
After months of lead up and a seemingly never ending stream of mock drafts, hypotheticals, and fan “wish lists,” Day 1 of the 2024 MLB Entry Draft has come and gone. On the first day of the event the Pittsburgh Pirates made three selections, picks 9, 37, & 47. Having three selections in the top 50 is a surefire way for the club to infuse some very exciting talent into the system. While many (myself included) expected Pittsburgh to target a “fast” rising piece with pick 9, when the Bucs were on the clock the Front Office stepped to the podium and decided to take a swing for the fences.
Pick 9 – Konnor Griffin, SS/OF
With their first pick in the draft, GM Ben Cherington selected Konnor Griffin, the
Gatorade National High School Player of the year out of Jackson Preparatory High
School. Most outlets and scouts alike considered Griffin to be the best prep player on
the board. And it is easy to see why.
Griffin is a hulking presence, standing 6’4” and weighing in at 205lbs, the tools leap off
the page and are immediately visible in any and all video. His calling card is his raw
power, which most place a current 60 grade on with a future projection for close to 80
raw power. If that isn’t enough to dream on, he also has been clocked as a plus to
double plus runner with a double plus arm, and near plus defensive ability. While Griffin
is most commonly considered a shortstop, there is a belief that he could very easily find
a home patrolling centerfield.
His senior year line is pretty mind-boggling:
.559 average, .690 OBP, .966 slugging, 1.656 OPS, 13 doubles, 4 triples, 9 homers, 85
steals.
The upside is the thing of dreams. ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel compared the ceiling to
Fernando Tatis Jr. While that is certainly easy to dream on, you’ve also got to consider
the downside that is present in this profile. Think Elijah Green. Similarly to Green, there
are questions about Griffin’s hit tool and how it is going to translate to pro ball. What
remains to be seen is how the approach and hit tool will play.
One reason to remain hopeful is that there are some that have mentioned that Griffin
has improved his swing in 2024. Hopefully Pirate fans will get to see how this translates
in the low minors once he is officially signed and before the minor league season ends.
Picking 9th overall this is the type of upside a team has to feel very good about securing
for their organization.
Pick 37 – Levi Sterling, RHP
The Pirates returned to the High School ranks for their second Day 1 selection securing
the 6’5” right hander out of Los Angeles, CA.
Sterling throws a very metric-friendly fastball that he can get up to 94, a high spin curve,
slider, and flashes a changeup that shows a lot of fade. Many note that Sterling’s
command and projectability are two major selling points to this profile. When it comes
to drafting pitching, there is every reason to be excited. Pitching development is the
strength of this organization, so I am inclined to completely trust in the process with this
selection. This is the kind of kid that you get into this organization and watch how they
take off. Very exciting addition here.
Pick 47 – Wyatt Sanford, SS
With their final selection of the first day the Pirates added a third High School player.
This time they went with a guy considered to be a no-doubt shortstop.
Hailing from Independence High School and with a commitment to attend Texas A&M in
the fall, Sanford gets very high grades on his glove & athleticism. There is some
question about his ultimate offensive upside, it is hard not to like the profile. Like most
prep picks Sanford’s power is relying mostly on projection. He does have what looks to
be an at least average hit tool.
In recent drafts and international signings a lot of the shortstops have been shortstops
in name only. With Sanford, he looks to be destined to stick at the position.
All in all, Day 1 has been fruitful for the organization. These three players provide a
much needed infusion of high end and exciting talent that you always want to obtain.
There are a lot more pieces that will fall into place for this draft class, but priority #1 will
be enticing these youngsters to forgo their college commitments and donning the black
and gold.
With an fun Day 1 in the books, I can’t wait for the rest of this class to take shape.
Steel City Pirates 
Looks like some great talent, glad they went for high ceilings instead of floors
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This group is certainly fun! Hoping that they can ink them all and get them playing soon.
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