Pirates Land Three Bats On Day One Of MLB Draft
PITTSBURGH (93-7 The FAN) - The Pirates went bat heavy in day one of the MLB Draft getting themselves a shortstop, third baseman and infielder with their first three picks.
The Pirates first pick of the draft was the 19th overall selection, which they used on Arizona shortstop Kevin Newman. In his junior year at Arizona, Newman was named a first-team Pac-12 selection after hitting .370 with 19 doubles, one triple, two home runs and 36 RBI, while stealing 22 bases in 55 games.
Newman also was named to this year's USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award watch list along with being a second-team Louisville Slugger preseason All-American and a Perfect Game preseason third-team All American.
The addition of Newman brings more depth to the Pirates shortstop system. Not only are Jordy Mercer and Jung Ho Kang fighting for time at the position at the Major League level, the team invested their first round pick last year in high school shortstop Cole Tucker, who is currently playing at Single-A West Virginia.
In the supplemental round held between the first and second rounds, the Pirates selected third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes with the 32nd overall selection.
The Pirates received this pick as compensation for losing Russell Martin in free agency.
Hayes hit .436 with 16 doubles, one triple, three home runs and 27 RBI and 12 stolen bases in his senior season at Concordia Lutheran High School in Texas.
The right-handed hitting Hayes is also the son of former Major Leaguer Charlie Hayes, who was a Pittsburgh Pirate in 1996.
With their final pick on the first day of the draft, the Pirates selected infielder Kevin Kramer with the 62nd overall pick.
As a red-shirt junior at UCLA this year, Kramer hit .323 with 14 doubles, two triples, seven home runs, 34 RBI and 55 runs scored, while being named a first-team All-Pac 12 selection.
