Huntington sports good track record in first round
PITTSBURGH — How Kevin Newman’s career turns out won’t necessarily make or break this year’s Pirates’ draft.
The University of Arizona shortstop was chosen in the first round Monday night with the 19th overall pick in the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. The draft, which ended Wednesday, has 40 rounds in all and the Pirates can find plenty of other gems.
However, any general manager on a small-market team like the Pirates will readily admit that it is easy to stay competitive at the major league level by consistently hitting on first-rounders.
Newman marked the Pirates’ ninth first-round pick since Neal Huntington has been GM. Let’s take a look at how the other eight have fared:
Pedro Alvarez, 2008
Regardless of the narrative from some revisionist historians, no one second-guessed the Pirates when they selected the slugger from Vanderbilt. Alvarez led the National League with 36 home runs two seasons ago and, though he hasn’t turned into a superstar, he has belted 113 homers, albeit with a .235 batting average in 646 career games.
Tony Sanchez, 2009
The general consensus was the Pirates reached by taking the catcher from Boston College from No. 4 overall and they may have been right. Sanchez is 27 and in his fourth season at Class AAA Indianapolis. In 51 major leagues games he has hit .259 with four home runs.
Jameson Taillon, 2010
Picked second overall, the right-hander from The Woodlands (Texas) High School in suburban Houston is working his way back from Tommy John elbow ligament replacement surgery that was performed in March, 2014. There is an outside chance the 23-year-old might make his major league debut this season but 2016 seems more likely.
Gerrit Cole, 2011
The Pirates used the first overall pick on the right-hander, even though he was the second best pitcher on UCLA’s staff that spring behind Trevor Bauer, who is now with the Cleveland Indians. However, the 24-year-old Cole has blossomed into the ace of the staff this season and is 30-14 with a 3.05 ERA in 53 career starts.
Mark Appel, 2012
When the Stanford ace, supposedly the top player in the draft, dropped to No. 8 because of perceived signing bonus demands, the Pirates chose him but failed to come to terms on a contract. That might have been a good thing because he is 3-1 with a 5.20 ERA in 10 starts with the Houston Astros’ Class AA Corpus Christi farm club this season.
Austin Meadows, 2013
Reese McGuire. 2013
Holding two first-round pick for the only time in franchise history, the Pirates went the high school route by taking Meadows, an outfielder from Grayson High School in Loganville, Ga., at No. 9 then McGuire, a catcher from Kentwood High School in Covington, Wash., at No. 14.
Both are playing at high Class A Bradenton. Meadows is hitting .290 with two home runs in 50 games while McGuire, considered a potential Gold Glove catcher, has a .254 batting average in 43 games.
Cole Tucker, 2014
The selection of the rangy shortstop from Pointe Mountain High School in Phoenix at No. 24 raised some eyebrows but the Pirates love his defense, speed, athleticism and makeup. Just 18, he is holding his own at low Class A West Virginia, hitting .266 with two homers and 15 stolen bases in 41 games.