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For the second time in three seasons, the Pittsburgh Pirates will have the first overall selection at the MLB Draft. With such an opportunity, team GM Ben Cherington will need to do his homework, and choose wisely.
Scheduled to take place between July 11 and 13 in Seattle, the 2023 MLB Draft will place a spotlight on baseball's best and brightest amateurs. Six-hundred and fourteen youngster will be selected across 20 rounds.
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"'If I'm the Pirates, I don't know how you pass on a kid that you may not see for another 20 years in the draft.' Dan O'Dowd thinks Paul Skenes is a generational prospect" - MLB Network
For the first time ever, a lottery was used to determine the selection order in the draft. Although the Pittsburgh Pirates won the draw last December, many do not realize what they are entitled to in addition to getting to select a young talent before anyone else on July 11.
In the first 10 rounds of the draft, teams are allocated certain amounts of money to spend on their selection. This year, the Pirates will have $9 million, a $400,000 increase from last year. This figure is enough to give the team the highest assigned pick values in the history of the MLB Draft.
"With the first ever MLB Draft Lottery complete, the 2023 Draft order is now set" - FOX Sports: MLB
The second and third picks will belong to the Washington Nationals and Detroit Tigers, respectively. Despite having some of the best odds, the Oakland Athletics will have to settle for the sixth pick in the selection process.
In addition to boasting the highest assigned pick value in MLB Draft history, the Pirates also lay claim to the third-highest bonus pool in the selective process' history. A massive $16,185,700 has been allocated toward contracts for the Pirates' draft selections. Only the 2015 Houston Astros and the 2022 Baltimore Orioles have had more funds to spend.
MLB Draft is the Pittsburgh Pirates' to lose
With LSU studs Dylan Crews and Paul Skenes expected to be some of the hottest names, the Pirates stand to add some serious young talent to their organization.
As most fans know, the talent that Pittsburgh uses its 2023 draft money on likely will not be seen in the MLB for a number of years. The process is known to be grueling and involves considerable time in the minors. However, if the right picks are made, the Pirates will definetly reap the benefits further down the road.
