Pirates Have Big Advantage of MLB in 2026 Draft
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates have a few months before the 2026 MLB Draft, but received some great news that will give them time to make some big decisions for their future.
The Pirates received the biggest bonus pool of any MLB team at $19,130,700 in the 2026 draft, about $100,000 more than the Tampa Bay Rays in second with $19,009,300. It sets the new record for a team in an MLB Draft, as the Pirates broke the record of $18,334,000 for the Cleveland Guardians in 2024.
Pittsburgh earned extra money with the No. 34 overall pick in the Competitive Balance Round A and also the 51st overall pick in the second round.
The Pirates get a Competitive Balance pick as they are one of the 10 lowest revenue earning clubs and one of the 10 smallest markets. They also added a second round pick, as they didn't sign right-handed pitcher Angel Cervantes, who honored his commitment to UCLA.
What This Means for the Pirates in the 2026 MLB Draft
The Pirates could make some big time selections in the 2026 MLB Draft, as they also have the fifth overall pick they got in the draft lottery and the 44th selection as well.
Pittsburgh has made some big time selections under general manager Ben Cherington, including catcher Henry Davis and Paul Skenes first overall in 2021 and 2023, respectively, second baseman Termarr Johnson fourth overall in 2022, infielder Nick Gonzales seventh overall in 2020, right-handed pitcher Seth Hernandez sixth overall in 2025 and Konnor Griffin ninth overall in 2024.
The Pirates have also made some strong selections later on in MLB Drafts, like right-handed pitchers in Carmen Mlodzinski in Competitive Balance Round A at 31st overall and Jared Jones 44th overall in 2020, Bubba Chandler in the third round in 2021 and both Thomas Harrington in Competitive Balance Round A at 36th overall and left-hander Hunter Barco at 44th overall in 2022,
Having a bigger bonus pool will allow them to go over-slot for some of the better players in a star-studded draft with some big selections later on.
Each pick has a slot value that teams can pick players based on whether they think they can sign him for lower or for higher than the pick's value.
This allows MLB teams to make decisions on who they take and how confident they are in signing players at certain parts of a draft, giving them the chance to prioritize certain players over others.
Pirates 2026 MLB Draft Outlook
Round | Selection | Slot Value |
|---|---|---|
First | 5th | $8,336,500 |
Competitive Balance (A) | 34th | $2,897,400 |
Second | 44th | $2,278,700 |
Second | 51st | $1,938,100 |
Third | 80th | $1,035,700 |
Fourth | 108th | $725,900 |
Fifth | 140th | $532,000 |
Sixth | 169th | $403,500 |
Seventh | 198th | $317,100 |
Eighth | 228th | $251,500 |
Ninth | 258th | $214,800 |
10th | 288th | $199,500 |
Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.