One Potential Pirates Draft Sleeper

The Pittsburgh Pirates draft began by taking a prep shortstop, Konnor Griffin from Jackson Prep in Flowood, Miss.

Griffin was rated as the top high school player in this year’s draft by MLB Pipeline and he was the first prep player to hear his name when commissioner Rob Manfred stepped to the podium to announce the Pirates’ pick.

In the second round, the Pirates took another shortstop from the high school ranks. With pick No. 57, Pittsburgh selected Wyatt Sanford from Frisco, Texas. A staunch defender, Sanford was another highly-touted prospect, checking in at No. 35 according to Pipeline.

Though the Pirates spent two of their first three picks on prep shortstops, there is another one who could prove to be a draft sleeper.

With their second pick on day two of the draft, the Pirates took Eddie Rynders in the fourth round. Rynders graduated from Wisconsin Lutheran High School.

I know, calling a fourth-round draft pick a sleeper is hardly a stretch, but considering Rynders barely made Pipeline’s top 250 draft prospects list and the Pirates drafted two other prep shortstops in front of him, he got lost in the shuffle a little bit.

The Pirates have had their eyes on Rynders for a while.

“A left-handed hitter, projectable left-handed hitter. Physical frame, he’s gonna add some strength,” Pirates amateur scouting director Justin Horowitz said after the draft. “He’s got some sneaky power. He’s got a good swing. And then on the dirt, he moves pretty well, has good hands, has arm strength. Can stick on the left-side. A kid that was a riser for us throughout the spring, someone who continued to perform and make a name for himself as we got closer to the draft.”

As Horowitz pointed out, Rynders already has a solid frame despite his youth. He’s showcased some power as a prospect and has room to tap into even more as he continues to mature and develop as a professional hitter.

There are some questions surrounding his hit tool, but looking at some of his highlights, I believe he’s shown some signs of being a productive player with the bat in his hand. Rynders has a smooth left-handed swing and the ball jumps off his bat at times.

With the 112th pick of the 2024 #MLBDraft the @Pirates select Eddie Rynders (Wisconsin Lutheran HS, @PrepBaseballWI).

Rynders showed off his big power potential at the #Super60 in February and throughout the spring. 💪📈pic.twitter.com/2zK3b3vw0q

— Prep Baseball Draft HQ (@PBR_DraftHQ) July 15, 2024

Though the Pirates drafted him as a shortstop, there have been some questions as to whether or not he will be able to stick at the position long-term. If he continues to add to his frame as expected, it may be harder for him to so.

Still, the Pirates drafted him as a shortstop for a reason, even if he plays in other spots — third base in particular.

“He certainly has the underlying ingredients to work with,” said Horowtiz on the possibility of Rynder staying at short. “I think there are kids throughout the draft who will surprise you with how they take to professional coaching when they have athleticism, when they have instincts and when they have the hands and arm strength and the range that Eddie does.

“We’re gonna give him all the chance in the world to stick there long-term. I’m sure he will play at other positions to gain some versatility, build some athleticism and his repertoire of skill sets. But underlying, underneath the surface, for sure has some talent to stick at short long-term.”

Regardless of where Rynders ends up playing, it might not matter all that much if he taps into the power potential that so many scouts feel is possible,

Griffin’s upside is through the roof. He has a chance at being a true five-tool player. While Rynders might not have the same type of ceiling as the Pirates’ first-rounder, I believe he has a chance to be a quality player at the next level.