Pirates Take UC Santa Barbara Pitcher in Latest Mock Draft
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates have taken many pitchers high in MLB Drafts and it wouldn't come as a surprise to see them do that again.
Carlos Collazo of Baseball America released his 2026 MLB Mock Draft 1.0, where they looked at who all 30 teams will take in the first round and had the Pirates taking UC Santa Barbara right-handed pitcher Jackson Flora with the fifth overall pick.
Flora is the first pitcher that Collazo has going in the draft and he sees the college arm as one of the top picks in the upcoming draft, especially with the season that he's had, plus what Flora could develop into.
"The Pirates have been among the most risk-tolerant teams when picking in this range in recent years, so it’ll be interesting to see which profiles they might consider if there’s not an obvious option like Flora on the board," Collazo wrote.
What the Pirates Would Get in Jackson Flora
Flora stands 6-foot-5 and 205 pounds and will turn 21 on May 25, as he is currently in his junior season at UC Santa Barbara.
He has four pitches in his arsenal, with his four-seam fastball his best pitch, reaching as high as 100 mph, plus his slider making for a strong 1-2 combination.
Flora has two different types of sliders, one that is more standard and has higher velocity around 86-89 mph and then a sweeper, which is slower and around 78-81 mph.
He also has a changeup and added a curveball too, as he becomes more of an established starting pitcher for the future.
One thing to notice with Flora is how he keeps his right leg low and outside in the initial part of his windup, generating more power in his upper body by keeping him balanced and allowing him to follow through with excellent velocity on his pitches.
Background on Jackson Flora
Flora has spent the past three seasons at UC Santa Barbara and has improved each year to now becoming one of the most recognizable pitchers in the nation.
He initially started out of the bullpen for the Gauchos as a freshman in 2024, with 23 appearances and just four starts, then became a starting pitcher in 2025, with 11 starts in 13 appearances, which saw dramatic improvements.
Stat | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|
Win-Loss | 3-2 | 6-3 |
Appearances/Starts | 23/4 | 13/11 |
ERA | 3.83 | 3.60 |
Innings Pitched | 47.0 | 75.0 |
Strikeouts/Walks | 40/25 | 86/17 |
BAA/WHIP | .253/1.45 | .209/1.00 |
K/9 (K/BB) | 7.7 (1.60) | 10.3 (5.06) |
Flora has continued that play into 2026 and been exceptional, with four wins in four starts, a 1.50 ERA over 24.0 innings pitched, 28 strikeouts to seven walks, a .195 BAA, 1.00 WHIP, a 4.00 K/BB and a 10.5 K/9.
His best start so far was against Utah on Feb. 27, where he posted 10 strikeouts over seven innings, giving up just one run, four hits and two walks in the 7-2 win.
Flora serve as the first pitcher on the weekend for the Gauchos and their main starter, as they try and make it to the College World Series for the first time since 2016.
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.