Pirates Draft Signings: OF Will Taylor, Four Others Ink Deals

The Pittsburgh Pirates continue to roll right along in announcing their 2024 draft singings.

On Friday, five more draft picks signed, including outfielder Will Taylor from Clemson University. The Pirates chose Taylor in the fifth round of the draft.

This past season at Clemson, Taylor hit .230 with a .465 on-base percentage and a .480 slugging percentage. He hit seven homers, drove in 19 runs and stole six bases before a left wrist injury ended his season. In 2023, Taylor hit .362 with a 1.012 OPS in 62 games.

Taylor was previously selected by the Texas Rangers in the 19th round of the 2021 draft. MLB Pipeline considered him their 203rd-best prospect in 2024.

In addition to Taylor, the Pirates signed four other draft picks — catcher Camden Janik (12th round) and right-handed pitchers Matt McShane (13th round), Jake Shirk (18th round) and Joe Vogatsky (19th round).

Janik, from the University of Illinois, was selected as an All-American third team by both Rawlings and American Baseball Coaches Association. Janik slashed .356/.440/.533 with 15 doubles, two triples, seven homers and 49 RBIs in 56 games this past season.

McShane went 5-2 with a 3.95 ERA and a pair of saves in his junior year with St. Joseph’s. He was named a Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Freshman All-American in 2022.

Shirk went 4-4 with a 6.41 ERA in 14 starts during his senior season at Wright State this past year. He was a 2023 All-Horizon League first-team selection in 2023 after going 5-5 with a 4.77 ERA and 71 strikeouts against 14 walks in 83 innings.

Vogatsky went 3-2 with nine saves and a 3.49 ERA in 27 appearances in 2024 at James Madison University. He was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 14th round of last year’s draft but did not sign.

The Pirates have now signed 15 of their 21 selections. First-rounder Konnor Griffin is one of the six remaining unsigned players.