Pirates select Arizona shortstop Kevin Newman with 19th overall pick

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For a second straight year, the Pittsburgh Pirates used their top draft pick on a shortstop from the southwest, selecting Arizona product Kevin Newman with the 19th overall pick in the 2015 First-Year Player Draft on Monday night.

After going unpicked as a high-schooler in the 2012 draft, Newman emerged as one of the top shortstops in this year's draft class following an impressive two-year stint in the Cape Cod League and a superb 2015 campaign for the Wildcats.

"When I got to Arizona, most of my motivation came from not being picked," Newman told Daniel Berk of Tucson.com earlier this week. "I felt like 30 teams passed up on me, so the next time around, I wanted to make 29 of them regret it."

Bio

Position: SS
School: University of Arizona
Height/Weight: 6-1, 180 pounds
Age: 21
Bats: Right; Throws: Right

Stats

Overview

Blessed with impeccable contact skills that bespeak a natural aptitude at the plate, Newman remains the only player in history to win consecutive batting titles in the Cape Cod League and, not surprisingly, wields a hit tool ESPN's Keith Law projects as a plus.

Newman, however, remains a divisive prospect. Absent any semblance of extra-base power while lacking the plus athleticism or speed typically expected of an elite shortstop prospect, the 21-year-old may be forced to find another position in professional baseball, a possibility that would compromise his value considerably.

Highlights

(Courtesy: Fangraphs)