Yes, this is a baseball website. But in the spirit of the 2026 NFL Draft starting in Pittsburgh on Thursday night, I wanted to take a moment to talk about the last three first-round draft picks of the Pirates. It’s been quite the run, and one that could be changing the trajectory of the franchise.
The Pirates selected right-hander Paul Skenes with the first pick in the 2023 draft out of LSU. Looking back on it now, Skenes was obviously the right pick but he was not the consensus choice at the time.
Some thought the Pirates could go with outfielder Dylan Crews, a teammate of Skenes at LSU who ended up going second overall to the Washington Nationals. Some even thought the Pirates could dip into the high school ranks at take outfielder Max Clark, who followed Crews as the No. 3 pick to the Detroit Tigers.
Skenes spent about 15 minutes in the minor leagues after being drafted before the Pirates deemed him ready. All he’s done so far is establish himself as perhaps the top starting pitcher in the sport with one of the best starts to a big-league career in MLB history.
The 23-year-old won the National League Rookie of the Year in 2024 and was named the Cy Young last season, becoming the third Pirate to ever win the latter. He’s also started each of the last two All-Star games and is 24-14 with a 2.05 ERA and just recently crossed 400 strikeouts through 60 career starts.
The following year, the Pirates selected high school shortstop Konnor Griffin with the ninth pick. Somehow, eight teams passed on someone who would go on to become the unanimous top prospect in the sport and the player who would reach the big leagues as a teenager.
Griffin flew threw his first minor-league season in 2025 and set the world on fire. He started with Low-A Bradenton and climbed all the way to Double-A Altoona.
Sure, the 19-year-old (turns 20 tomorrow) has had a rough start to his big-league career, but for someone who only had five games above Double-A prior to his first game with the Pirates, that was probabably to be expected.
Is there reason to worry? Not really. Griffin is going to be fine, and he’s going to be around for a long time. Griffin signed a nine-year, $140 million extension shortly after debuting. It’s the largest contract in franchise history and one that will keep a second potential franchise cornerstone in a black and gold uniform through the 2034 season.
Last year, the Pirates again dipped into the prep pool but this time went with a starting pitcher. Right-hander Seth Hernandez was the sixth overall pick as one of the top high school pitching prospects in years.
Hernandez did not appear in a game after being drafted but is off to an incredible start with Low-A Bradenton this year. Through his first three starts, the 19-year-old has allowed one run on three hits in 12 innings with three walks and a whopping 23 strikeouts.
Obviously, Hernandez has a ways to go before he impacts the Pirates. But his stuff is already off the charts and if he continues to perform at a high level, he not only has a chance to one day be the top pitching prospect in the sport but could be fast-tracked to the big leagues.
It’s been quite a run for the Pirates when drafting in the first round. The Steelers will be looking for some of that when their pick is announced on the stage down the street from PNC Park on Thursday night.
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