Day Two of the MLB Draft kicked off yesterday afternoon and Pirates General Manager Ben Cherington drew the admiration of fans for his choice of players in rounds two through ten.
With their second round pick, the Pirates took high school southpaw Anthony Solometo out of Bishop Eustace Prep School in Pennsauken Township, New Jersey.
Solometo is known for his pitching mechanics that are similar to Diamondbacks’ ace Madison Bumgarner, as well as his effectiveness with pitches. MLB.com’s Jake Crouse reports that he sits in the 90-94 miles-per-hour range with his fastball and he has a slider that can buckle opposing hitters.
In an exclusive interview with Renda Media’s Jake Slebodnick, Solometo said that he was excited when he was drafted by the Pirates, since he’s been a fan of Pittsburgh sports for a while.
Solometo talked about his approach when taking the mound, saying it’s more of a mental game than it is physical.
He also said that he had to control his pitch speed in high school, since it takes more than high velocity to be an effective pitcher.
Among other notable picks for the Pirates in yesterday’s draft were Lonnie White Jr., who they took 64th overall in Competitive Balance Round-B; two-way player Bubba Chandler, who originally committed to play football for the University of Clemson but confirmed he will sign with the Pirates instead; and Pittsburgh-native/Bethel Park alumnus Justin Meis, a right-handed pitcher from Eastern Michigan University.
In other MLB news, New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso had to wait an extra year before repeating as Home Run Derby champion, which he did last night. It came down to a “swing-off” between him and Orioles slugger Trey Mancini. He joins Yoenis Cespedes and Ken Griffey Jr. as the only players in history to hold back-to-back titles.
Baseball’s best go head-to-head tonight in the MLB All-Star Game – the first rendition of the Midsummer Classic since 2019.
Adam Frazier and Bryan Reynolds will represent the Pirates, with both players slated to start.
Reynolds was added to the starting lineup yesterday after Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. went down with a knee injury last week. He will bat eighth and play center field, while Frazier bats ninth and starts at second.
Frazier talked about the day he found out he was headed to Colorado to participate in the All-Star Game, saying it wasn’t a normal way to find out.
It’s the first time two Pirates have starting in the All-Star Game since Barry Bonds and Andy Van Slyke did in 1992.
First pitch for tonight’s game is 8 p.m. Full lineups for both teams can be found below:
National League:
Fernando Tatis Jr. (SD) – SS
Max Muncy (LAD) – DH
Nolan Arenado (STL) – 3B
Freddie Freeman (ATL) – 1B
Nick Castellanos (CIN) – RF
Jesse Winker (CIN) – LF
J.T. Realmuto (PHI) – C
Bryan Reynolds (PIT) – CF
Adam Frazier (PIT) – 2B
Max Scherzer (WAS) – SP
American League:
Shohei Ohtani (LAA) – DH
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (TOR) – 1B
Xander Bogearts (BOS) – SS
Aaron Judge (NYY) – RF
Rafael Devers (BOS) – 3B
Marcus Semien (TOR) – SS
Teoscar Hernandez (TOR) – LF
Cedric Mullins (BAL) – CF
Shohei Ohtani (LAA) – SP
