The 2020 MLB Draft finally has an official start time.
The event, which will be five rounds vs. the usual 40 rounds due to the coronavirus pandemic, begins Wednesday, June 10, at 7 p.m. ET, airing live on both MLB Network and ESPN. This marks the first simultaneous live, primetime coverage of the MLB Draft in the event's history.
Day 1 of the event, June 10, will cover Round 1 plus Competitive Balance Round A, 37 picks in all. The Pirates, then, will have two picks on Day 1: No. 7 overall and No. 31 overall.
From there, coverage continues Thursday, June 11, on MLB Network and ESPN 2, beginning at 5 p.m. ET. Day 2 will start with the first pick of Round 2 (No. 38 overall) and run through the conclusion of the 2020 MLB Draft (Round 5, pick 160).
The Pirates' full slate of picks is as follows:
• Round 1, No. 7 overall
• Competitive Balance Round A/Round 1, No. 31 overall
• Round 2, No. 44 overall
• Round 3, No. 79 overall
• Round 4, No. 108 overall
• Round 5, No. 138 overall
While every pick has the potential to make an impact for the club, eyes are immediately attracted to that No. 7 overall pick for the Pirates. In the past 25 years, that position has brought Hall-of-Fame-caliber players such as Clayton Kershaw in 2006 to Matt White in 1996. The Pirates have the potential to draft a genuine All-Star there, and the pick will also mark the first under the watch of new general manager Ben Cherington, assistant GM Steve Sanders and company.
No pressure.
With two Day-1 picks and another on Day 2 that'll fall within the top 45 at No. 44, though, the Pirates look primed to stock up for the future and to add some quality players into the pipeline. Only the Giants and the Cardinals have more picks in this year's draft, each with seven to the Pirates' six.
Early mock drafts have the Pirates taking left-handed power-hitting outfielder Heston Kjerstad, left-handed pitcher Reid Detmers, and right-handed pitcher Emerson Hancock. Second baseman Nick Gonzales and catcher Patrick Bailey have also been linked to the Pirates at No. 7 overall.
Here are MLB Pipeline's Top 200 prospects to watch.
The full draft order for Day 1 is as follows:
- Detroit Tigers
- Baltimore Orioles
- Miami Marlins
- Kansas City Royals
- Toronto Blue Jays
- Seattle Mariners
- Pittsburgh Pirates
- San Diego Padres
- Colorado Rockies
- Los Angeles Angles
- Chicago White Sox
- Cincinnati Reds
- San Francisco Giants
- Texas Rangers
- Philadelphia Phillies
- Chicago Cubs
- Boston Red Sox
- Arizona Diamondbacks
- New York Mets
- Milwaukee Brewers
- St. Louis Cardinals
- Washington Nationals
- Cleveland Indians
- Tampa Bay Rays
- Atlanta Braves
- Oakland Athletics
- Minnesota Twins
- New York Yankees
- Los Angeles Dodgers
- Baltimore Orioles (first pick of Competitive Balance Round A)
- Pittsburgh Pirates
- Kansas City Royals
- Arizona Diamondbacks
- San Diego Padres
- Colorado Rockies
- Cleveland Indians
- Tampa Bay Rays (received in trade with Cardinals)
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