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The Pittsburgh Pirates have been crushing it on finding high upside in the MLB Draft.
Paul Skenes, Konnor Griffin, even the most recent Seth Hernandez -- all immense ceilings.
So when the 2026 MLB Draft rolls around in a few months, it might make sense for the Pirates to try and keep that roll going.
They aren't a team that lands huge names in free agency. They need their draft picks to become stars.
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So with that in mind, MLB.com has projected who they might get with the No. 5 overall pick in this year's draft, and it's a toolsy high school bat: Eric Booth Jr.
Some lists won't have Booth that high, but the idea is that the Pirates specifically will be drawn to a talent like him.
"The Pirates have gotten arguably the highest ceiling player in each of the last three Drafts, so I’m going to go Eric Booth Jr. from Oak Grove high school in Mississippi," MLB.com's Jim Callis writes. "I just think he has one of the highest ceilings in the Draft, he doesn’t have one of the most conventional swings, but he makes a lot of hard contact. He’s going to have at least average power, he’s a double-plus runner, he’s going to be a center fielder pretty easily and he’s looked even better this spring. I don’t know if he will end up going quite this high, but I do think Eric Booth is firmly in the consensus Top 10."
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In some ways, projecting the MLB Draft is even harder than the other leagues. Financials and a variety of positions and experience levels can all factor in to making picks very different than just a traditional big board.
But it's logical to identify trends with organizations and expect them to stick to them. With the Pirates, that's upside. And Booth is upside, so remember his name in Pittsburgh as a potential target.
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