Three Intriguing 2026 Draft Picks Pirates Fans Should Know
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates finished picking their 2026 MLB Draft class last weekend and there are a few selections that stood out amongst the rest.
The Pirates put their future into LSU outfielder Derek Curiel, whom they took fifth overall, and hope he develops into an everyday outfielder for them in the coming years, but the really interesting picks come later on in the draft.
Pittsburgh has had some success with selections on the second day of the draft, such as right-handed starting pitcher Mike Burrows in the 11th round in 2018, left-handed pitcher Tyler Samaniego in the 15th round in 2021 and infielder Charles McAdoo in the 13th round in 2023, who the team used in trades the past two seasons.
The Pirates will hope that some of their later picks pan out and also become important parts of the team's future and there are a few that could do just that.
Tre Phelps Could Be Next Great Pirates Power Bat
The Pirates, surprisingly, landed Georgia slugger Tre Phelps with the 258th overall pick in the ninth round and didn't hesitate to bring him on.
Phelps earned high rankings from MLB Pipeline (121) and Baseball America (123), but fell almost twice as far into the ninth round, making for an easy selection for the Pirates.
There's a lot to like about Phelps' game, but his power is what stands out the most, earning a "55" grade, which projects him as a 25-30 home run hitter, something the Pirates would love him to develop into.
Phelps hit 41 home runs over his three seasons with the Bulldogs, including 19 home runs as a junior in 2026, culminating in a strong year where he batted .348/.468/.628 for an OPS of 1.096 in 65 games, leading his team to the SEC regular season and tournament titles and a spot in the College World Series.
He has great bat speed and raw power that make him a player who could end up reaching those lofty projections in the future.
Phelps does have some drawbacks, such as some swing-and-miss concerns, as well as where he ends up playing defensively, with experience at both corner infield and corner outfield spots, but not a defined position yet.
If he can find some footing defensively and hit for power like he did in college, this could end up a really great pick for the Pirates.
A Promising Left-Handed High School Pitcher
The Pirates and any MLB team will always look for great left-handed pitching and they went for it with their selection of Spencer Evans.
Evans was the Pirates' 11th-round pick, 318th overall, and is already committed to LSU, but there's good reason they wanted to go after him and try to sign him regardless.
He is a hard throwing southpaw, with a fastball that gets up to around 95-96 mph at just 18 years old and also includes some impressive offspeed stuff in his slider, curveball and changeup.
Loud stuff showing for 2026 LHP Spencer Evans in a quick look today.
— Ian Smith (@IanSmittyGA) May 12, 2026
Effectively wild but flashed swing-and-miss stuff with the full mix.
FB: 90-94 T95; Heavy
SL: 79-83; Some tilt
CB: 72-76; 2400+ RPM, depth @LSUbaseball commit.@TNXLAcademy || @PrepBaseballFL @aba_hq pic.twitter.com/mLY7ywCz5C
Evans stands 6-foot-3, 200 pounds, so he already possesses the build necessary for success at the major league level and can become a domineering presence on the mound.
The stuff is what makes Evans so intriguing, a fastball that he can improve his velocity on to close to triple-digits, plus his offspeed choices that have great movement and break to complement the fastball for strikeouts.
Evans does struggle with command and location of his pitches, not too surprising for a young pitcher and definitely something he would have time to work on, especially if he does sign with the Pirates.
Reinold Navarro is another Pirates left-handed pitching prospect with a somewhat similar profile to Evans, a great fastball, but struggles with command.
Navarro's potential could make him into another great southpaw for the Pirates and Evans could develop into that as well.
An Exciting Left-Handed College Pitcher
Everyone loves a good southpaw pitcher and the Pirates took one earlier in the draft in Ryan Marohn out of North Carolina State in the fifth round.
Marohn has a different angle to his pitch than Evans does, wider and makes it more deceptive, which is something that benefits him with his arsenal.
Yeah, Ryan Marohn knew it.
— NC State Baseball (@NCStateBaseball) April 26, 2025
Marohn picks up his fifth strikeout of the day.
T8 | NCSU 3, CU 1 pic.twitter.com/VU54hQsJi1
He won't overpower hitters with his fastball, averaging in the lower 90s mph, but unlike a heavy thrower, he has strong control, earning a "60" grade, which allows him to locate pitches better and get strikeouts/outs overall that way.
Mahorn dealt with some injuries this season, but still posted a 3.18 ERA and 12.3 K/9 over 45.1 innings, making him a good choice for the Pirates in the fifth round.
Velocity is the biggest concern for Mahorn, as he'll have to improve it somewhat, even with his pitching profile; otherwise, he'll rely heavily on command to make him an effective pitcher in the major leagues.
Mahorn likely won't become the next Chris Sale, but a solid left-handed starting pitcher is a great get for the Pirates if they can help him reach that goal.
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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.