MLB Draft
MLB Draft Prospect Profile: Slugger Ike Irish Makes Some Sense for Pirates
This is one in a series of breakdowns of the top prospects available in the 2025 MLB Draft.
If teams focused on their biggest need in Major League Baseball’s amateur draft, Auburn catcher/outfielder Ike Irish would check a lot of boxes for the Pittsburgh Pirates with the sixth pick in this year’s draft.
Still, Irish makes a lot of sense for the Pirates even when not focusing on their biggest need, especially if they look to cut a deal to allocate more funds later in the draft.
Irish is perhaps the top pure college hitter available in this year’s draft and is coming off a sensational junior season.
In 55 games with the Tigers in 2025, Irish slashed a stellar .364/.469/.710 with 13 doubles, two triples, 19 home runs, 58 RBI and 11 stolen bases. 13 of his 19 home runs came in Southeastern Conference play, and he posted a 1.830 OPS against conference opponents.
Ike's all over it! 💥
B5 | Coastal 6, Auburn 3 pic.twitter.com/99tM0MlgvR
— Auburn Baseball (@AuburnBaseball) June 7, 2025
The 21-year-old finished third in the competitive SEC in batting average and OPS, fourth in slugging, sixth in on-base percentage and tied for eighth in home runs.
Through the years, the Pirates have had a tendency to select players who performed well with wood bats in summer leagues. In last year’s Cape Cod League, Irish hit .325 with a .438 on-base percentage, an .871 OPS, five doubles, one triple, two home runs, 12 RBI and eight steals in 34 games.
Irish spent a lot of his collegiate career behind the plate, but a fractured right scapula forced him to play more right field this season, and he passed the eye test defensively. He also has some experience at first base.
But it’s Irish’s bat that should appeal to the Pirates. MLB Pipeline grades his hit tool as a 60 on the 20-80 scouting scale and his power received a 55-grade.
Many evaluators view Irish as a guy who could be quick to reach the big leagues, and the Pirates need as much help offensively as they can get — ASAP.
It might be viewed as a bit of a reach if the Pirates took Irish, who MLB Pipeline considers the 11th-best draft prospect this year. However, Pittsburgh would still be getting some value and could try and work out an under-slot deal to use more resources later in the draft. It’s the strategy they used in taking Henry Davis No. 1 overall in 2021, which netted Bubba Chandler among a few other high school prospects.
Irish could be one to watch for the Pirates, and not just because of his 80-grade name.
I’m down with this selection, second best ranked college bat. Walk to strikeout ratio improved in 2025 without affecting power or average. Would prefer him as an outfielder but would be good to have that 3rd (emergency) catcher available if needed as well. Not much of a drop if he is ranked 11th best prospect and if they can save for high upside in later rounds all the better.
I agree. Again, I’d rather one of the shortstops in Holliday, Arquette (my ideal since he’s big, a college bat, and can probably move to third), or one of the other prep guys. But, this wouldn’t be a bad selection.
With Griffin looking like a potential star and Johnson looking like the future at second, I dodn’t mind this pick. However, I’m still hoping Aiva Arquette or Holiday hall to the pirates. Both can play third…they’ll need to replace Hayes if his bat doesn’t continue to improve. And, Griffin can switch to center putting Cruz in left or right.
Gonzalez is good enough at short and I’m guessing he can play third as well.
Always draft the best player available, hitter or pitcher, it doesn’t matter. If Irish is the best pick at 6 then pick him. If he’s still ranked at 11 then pick someone else.