The Pirates select at no. 9 in the 2024 MLB Draft and it is looking pretty clear who they want to target. Let’s break down who the Pirates might select and look at the team’s recent 1st round selections as the MLB Draft inches closer.
More: See our full first-round mock draft
No. 9: Pirates Select 1B/OF James Tibbs III (Florida State)
James Tibbs was one of the most productive hitters at the college level in 2024 as the Florida State superstar showed he can absolutely mash. Tibbs hit .363 with 28 homers and 95 RBI on the season. He also hit 18 doubles and has the potential to move quickly through the Pirates season to give them a legitimate middle-of-the-lineup threat. As a sophomore, he hit 17 homers to show he isn’t just a one-year wonder. The guy can hit.
A on most draft boards, Tibbs showed his pop from the left side hitting .303 with 6 homers in the Cape Cod league. He isn’t great on defense and will probably be limited to left field because of his speed but the guy hammers fastballs and shows he can drive the ball with power to all fields.
Pirates Also Have Picks No. 37 and 47 Overall
T෴he Pirates have a shot to add three quality players to their farm system as they have three picks in the top 50 of the draft. They select at no. 9, 37, and 47. It looks like Tibbs is the option at no. 9 as the team is looking to add legitimate college hitters who can be big league-ready soon. This could free up 37 and 47 to add great pitching prosp🦩ects for Pittsburgh as they continue to build.
Recent Pirates 1st Round Draft Picks
Take a look at th♊e recent 1st round picks for the Pittsburgh Pirates. In 2023, they selected Paul Skenes from LSU and he has already skyrocketed to the bigs showing he is a future ace and superstar in the making.
| Year | Selection | Pos. | School |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Paul Skenes | RHP | LSU (Baton Rouge, Louisiana) |
| 2022 | Termarr Johnson | SS | Mays High School (Atlanta, Georgia) |
| 2022 | Tom Harrington | RHP | Campbell University (Buies Creek, North Carolina) |
| 2021 | Henry Davis | C | University of Louisville (Louisville, Kentucky) |
| 2021 | Carmen Mlodzinski | RHP | University of South Carolina (Columbia, South Carolina) |
| 2020 | Nick Gonzales | SS | New Mexico State University (Las Cruces, New Mexico) |
| 2019 | Quinn Priester | RHP | Cary-Grove High School (Cary, Illinois) |
| 2019 | Sammy Siani | OF | William Penn Senior High School (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) |
| 2018 | Travis Swaggerty | OF | University of South Alabama (Mobile, Alabama) |
| 2018 | Gunnar Hoglund | RHP | Fivay High School (Hudson, Florida) |
| 2017 | Shane Baz | RHP | Concordia Lutheran High School (Tomball, Texas) |
| 2016 | Will Craig | 3B | Wake Forest University (Winston-Salem, North Carolina) |
| 2016 | Nick Lodolo | RHP | Damien High School (La Verne, California) |
| 2015 | Kevin Newman | SS | University of Arizona (Tucson, Arizona) |
| 2015 | Ke’Bryan Hayes | 3B | Concordia Lutheran High School (Tomball, Texas) |
| 2014 | Cole Tucker | SS | Mountain Pointe High School (Phoenix, Arizona) |
| 2014 | Connor Joe | OF | University of San Diego (San Diego, California) |
| 2013 | Austin Meadows | OF | Grayson High School (Loganville, Georgia) |
| 2013 | Reese McGuire | C | Kentwood High School (Covington, Washington) |
| 2012 | Mark Appel | RHP | Stanford University (Stanford, California) |
| 2012 | Barrett Barnes | OF | Texas Tech University (Lubbock, Texas) |
| 2011 | Gerrit Cole | RHP | University of California, Los Angeles (Los Angeles, California) |
| 2010 | Jameson Taillon | RHP | The Woodlands High School (The Woodlands, Texas) |
| 2009 | Tony Sánchez | C | Boston College (Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts) |
| 2009 | Victor Black | RHP | Dallas Baptist University (Dallas, Texas) |
| 2008 | Pedro Álvarez | 3B | Vanderbilt University (Nashville, Tennessee) |
| 2007 | Daniel Moskos | LHP | Clemson University (Clemson, South Carolina) |
| 2006 | Brad Lincoln | RHP | University of Houston (Houston, Texas) |
| 2005 | Andrew McCutchen | OF | Fort Meade High School (Fort Meade, Florida) |
| 2004 | Neil Walker | C | Pine Richland High School (Gibsonia, Pennsylvania) |
| 2003 | Paul Maholm | LHP | Mississippi State University (Mississippi State, Mississippi) |
| 2002 | Bryan Bullington | RHP | Ball State University (Muncie, Indiana) |
| 2001 | John Van Benschoten | RHP | Kent State University (Kent, Ohio) |
| 2000 | Sean Burnett | LHP | Wellington Community High School (Wellington, Florida) |
