The Pittsburgh Pirates came away from the 2026 MLB Draft with Derek Curiel at No. 5 overall, but the most intriguing parts of their class might be found much later in the board.
That’s where Pittsburgh has found value before. The club has had success on the second day of the draft with picks like right-hander Mike Burrows in the 11th round in 2018, left-hander Tyler Samaniego in the 15th round in 2021 and infielder Charles McAdoo in the 13th round in 2023, with McAdoo later used in trades over the past two seasons. Now the Pirates are hoping a few more late selections can turn into real pieces for the future.
One of the loudest swings came with Georgia slugger Tre Phelps, whom Pittsburgh grabbed with the 258th overall pick in the ninth round. The Pirates didn’t wait around on him, and it’s easy to see why. MLB Pipeline had him ranked 121st and Baseball America had him at 123, so he slid far enough for Pittsburgh to jump in.
Phelps’ calling card is obvious: power. He carries a 55 grade in that area, the kind of tool that projects to 25-30 home runs if everything clicks.
Over three seasons with the Bulldogs, he launched 41 homers, including 19 as a junior in 2026. He also put together a huge season at the plate, hitting .348/.468/.628 with a 1.096 OPS in 65 games as Georgia won the SEC regular season and tournament titles and reached the College World Series.
There are questions, too. Phelps has some swing-and-miss in his game, and his defensive home isn’t settled yet.
He has experience at both corner infield and corner outfield spots, but no locked-in position. Still, if the bat power shows up the way it did in college and he settles in somewhere defensively, this could be a strong get for Pittsburgh.
The Pirates also kept chasing left-handed pitching, and that brought them to Spencer Evans in the 11th round at No. 318 overall. Evans is already committed to LSU, but Pittsburgh clearly liked the arm enough to take the shot.
At 18 years old, Evans is already throwing a fastball that reaches about 95-96 mph, and he pairs it with a slider, curveball and changeup that all give him a real chance to miss bats. He’s listed at 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds, a frame that fits the profile of a pitcher who could keep building into something bigger.
What makes Evans so interesting is the mix. The fastball can keep climbing, and the offspeed pitches have enough movement and break to play off it.
The issue is command. Like a lot of young pitchers, he has work to do there, and that will be a key part of his development if he signs with the Pirates.
Another lefty with some of that same appeal is Reinold Navarro, who also brings a big fastball but has command issues of his own. Evans could follow a similar path if everything comes together.
The Pirates took a different kind of southpaw earlier in the draft with Ryan Marohn out of North Carolina State in the fifth round. Marohn doesn’t overpower hitters the way Evans might someday, but he brings a wider, more deceptive angle that helps his stuff play up.
His fastball sits in the lower 90s, but the command stands out. Marohn earned a 60 grade there, and that ability to locate gives him a different route to outs and strikeouts. Even with injuries this season, he still posted a 3.18 ERA and 12.3 K/9 over 45.1 innings, which made him a strong fit for Pittsburgh in the fifth round.
The big question with Marohn is velocity. He’ll likely need more of it to maximize his profile, even if his control keeps carrying him. He may not turn into the next Chris Sale, but the Pirates would gladly take a solid left-handed starter if he can develop into that kind of arm.
In Other News...
Pirates Get A Bullpen Arm Back At A Critical Time
The Pirates got a bullpen arm back at a useful moment Friday, activating right-hander Wilber Dotel off the 15-day injured list and putting him on the 26-man roster ahead of their doubleheader against the Guardians. Dotel had been working his way back through a rehab assignment, and the club is counting on him to give the relief corps another option as it navigates a long day against Cleveland.
Dotel is expected to be available for the second game, which gives Pittsburgh a chance to ease him back in rather than asking for immediate heavy lifting. The timing matters because he had opened the season in strong form before the injury, and the Pirates could use even a partial return to that version of him as they try to stabilize the middle innings. [Read more 🡒]
Pirates Turn To An Unexpected Arm As Bigger Doubleheader Questions Loom
With a doubleheader against the Guardians on July 18 forcing some short-term roster juggling, the Pirates turned to right-hander Khristian Curtis as their 27th man for the day. Curtis was added to handle the first game, giving Pittsburgh an extra arm for a spot start in the schedule before the club sends him back to Triple-A Indianapolis.
The move fits the kind of one-day roster math that often comes with a twin bill, especially for a pitching staff that needs to keep one eye on the next game as much as the current one. Wilber Dotel is set to come off the injured list afterward, and the Pirates also moved center fielder Oneil Cruz to the 60-day injured list to clear the way for Curtis to join the 40-man roster. [Read more 🡒]
Brewers Pitcher Just Changed How Rivals Have To View The Pirates
The Pirates have spent enough time being treated like the NL Centrals long-shot project, but that perception has started to change around the division. After Pittsburgh swept the Brewers right before the All-Star break, Milwaukee pitcher Jacob Misiorowski was among the voices acknowledging that the Pirates belong in the same conversation with the Cubs and Cardinals as the race tightens.
Pittsburgh still has ground to make up in the standings, but the bigger shift is how opponents are talking about them now. They are no longer being framed only as a rebuilding club, and with a Wild Card chase still within reach, rivals have to account for them as a legitimate threat rather than a team just trying to hang around. [Read more 🡒]