Pirates draft South Alabama star Travis Swaggerty 10th overall
With the 10th pick in the 2018 MLB amateur draft, the Pittsburgh Pirates selected South Alabama star Travis Swaggerty, a left-handed-hitting outfielder who jumped into top-10 consideration after discovering his power stroke this season.
Swaggerty, 20, will join a Pirates system that recently graduated Austin Meadows to the majors. The slugging outfielder previously went undrafted out of high school, and is considered strong enough defensively to stick in center field at the major-league level.
Bio
Age: 20
Position: OF
Height/weight: 5-foot-11, 180 pounds
Bats/Throws: L/L
School: South Alabama
Pick value: $4,560,200
MLB prospect rank: 11
MLB.com money quote: "The most common comparison is Brett Gardner, though Gardner had less pop and more speed at the same stage of his career."
Scouting grades
| Hit | Power | Run | Arm | Field | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 55 | 50 | 60 | 55 | 55 | 55 |
2018 stats
| AB | AVG | OPS | HR | BB/K | SB (SB%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 213 | .296 | .981 | 13 | 1.42 | 9 (64.3%) |
Take a look ...
(Video courtesy: MLB.com)
(Grades courtesy: MLB Pipeline)