2 MLB Draft Prospects Most Commonly Mocked to Pirates
The 2026 MLB Draft gets underway on Saturday and the Pirates will be on the clock with the fifth pick.
The consensus this year is that the top four prospects selected (in some order) will be UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky, Georgia Tech catcher Vahn Lackey and prep shortstops Grady Emerson and Jacob Lombard.
But the draft is full of surprises. If any of those four players falls to the Pirates with the fifth pick, he would likely be the pick. If not, there are two players who have been most commonly mocked to the Pirates in the first round.
One is UC Santa Barbara right-hander Jackson Flora, the top pitching prospect available in this year’s class. A first-team All-American, the 6-foot-5 Flora went a perfect 12-0 with a 1.06 ERA in 16 starts during his junior season. He logged 102 innings, allowed 55 hits, walked 32 and struck out 133.
Flora’s best pitch is a high-velocity fastball that touches triple digits. The 21-year-old also possesses an above-average slider and changeup to round out his arsenal.
The Pirates took a college pitcher with their top pick once under general manager Ben Cherington — right-hander Paul Skenes with the top pick in 2023. The only other time the Pirates took a pitcher with their top pick of the first round under Cherington was last year, when they took prep right-hander Seth Hernandez.
In addition to Flora, high school outfielder Eric Booth Jr. is another prospect who has been mocked to Pittsburgh. Booth, who is committed to Vanderbilt, slashed .481/.669/.922 with 11 doubles, four triples, five home runs, 31 RBIs and 23 steals in 29 games as a high school senior.
The just-turned 18-year-old has a 70-grade run tool and is considered an above-average hitter and defender with at least average power and arm strength.
If the Pirates selected Booth, it would be the second time in the last three years they took a prep player from the state of Mississippi, joining shortstop Konnor Griffin (ninth overall) in 2024. The other time the Pirates took a prep position player in round one was second baseman Termarr Johnson (fourth overall, 2022).
Skenes concerns me. Should not have pitched this offseason in the classic, but still a good pitcher. I am concerned he has a dead arm. Mitch Keller has always worn down in the second half, but provided a lot of quality starts in the first half. He is not doing that this year, and I think his arm is not where it should be, nor do I believe given his customary 2nd half decline that he will recover it this year. Skenes, Ashcraft, Barco, Jones, Chandler, Hernandez and Flora would give me confidence that we could field the best rotation in baseball. We should use the competitive balance pick on a flamethrower that would, even though a starter now, such as the kids out of the Mississippi and Arkansas programs, provide great potential for relievers. If we can get Skenes on track the sky is the limit. If Chandler and/or Jones harness their gifts the rotation could be in a year or so one of the best ever assembled. I would not be surprised if Hernandez, Barco, and Florna would be pitching for the Pirates in late 2027. It would remind me of the Pirates of the early 90s facing Glavine, Smoltz, Maddux and Avery. Maybe, the best rotation ever. For now, give up Temarr Johnson and other prospects for relief pitching as this season can grow wings toward a playoff birth, but not Hernandez or Florentino.
Kevin, I don’t totally disagree with you, but Skenes run and defensive support has been
pathetic to say the least. I think all of us have to remember that everytime Skenes pitches it’s like the opposing teams Super Bowl. Not to mention the pressure on Skenes to try and keep the team scoreless. Skenes will be fine. His record should still be about 9 & 3 or 9 & 4. Oh, and I forgot the Bullpen but I don’t have all day. LOL
I disagree with you. If Skenes was pitching like he was last year than it wouldn’t matter. We have good defense and the offense is a mill times better than last year. Him and Keller are loosing their edge. For the most part, while Horwitz and Cruz are out have been good. One thing I disagree with DK putting Cook and Ozuna in when Skenes pitches could be the issue.
Mike, your statement shows me 1 thing: you aren’t watching him pitch. That’s okay, but really….if you watch him pitch, except for that dominant 3 start stretch in may, he has made somewhere around 30% of his pitches which are completely noncompetitive. His delivery gets rotational, and he loses his release point. Its really that simple, he pulls his breaking pitches, and usually leaves his fastball high, arm side. His arm is going away from his body much earlier in his delivery, and i’m guessing thats partly to blame. His pitches aren’t sharp, and his command quite frankly, sucks. Anyone watching the games can see that. Normally, if defense was sucking, paul would and could strike people out almost at will. I’ve now watched the last….lets call it, 10 stressful situations for him. You wanna know how many times he was able to dominate the hitter in that situation? 1. 1. That’s not Paul Skenes.
what exactly are we downvoting? If you disagree with something, write a response.
Dead arm doesn’t lead to a lack of command- that is mechanical, its in his delivery….and its rather obvious to even a moderately active fan…….what this means is, no matter what the pirates are telling us, both Skenes and the coaching staff are highly aware of it, we just don’t know what they are doing to fix it. What they should do is say, “We found some things on film and we are working on correcting it. In the mean time, paul is going to keep pitching his butt off and competing like he always does”