Pirates 2026 Draft picks

After taking Derek Curiel with the fifth overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft, the Pirates selected high school shortstop Aiden Ruiz with the 44th pick on Saturday. Ruiz’s selection -- followed by second baseman Chris Rembert from Auburn seven picks later, right-handed pitcher Jason DeCaro at No. 80 and outfielder Andruw Giles at No. 108 -- capped a first day in which Pittsburgh selected four position players and one pitcher.

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On Day 2, Pittsburgh spent 11 of 16 picks on college pitchers. The Pirates drafted two LSU signees in the late rounds who are ranked in MLB Pipeline’s top 200 prospects.

All four position players selected Saturday match the profile of a contact hitter with plus defense and above-average speed, with room to grow in the power department. Pirates assistant general manager Kevan Graves, who is running the Draft for the first time, said it wasn’t a specific profile Pittsburgh was looking for.

“We are looking for players who align with our organizational pillars, skill pillars and different players are going to come in different shapes,” Graves said. “Certainly, some of those looked like that today. But I think the biggest thing that we're excited about is adding players that both our scouts and our player development skill experts are really excited about touching, developing and influencing, because they simply have a really strong foundation when it comes to a lot of the pillars that we seek out in Pirates -- both in the field and on the mound.”

Graves said the Pirates didn’t fully anticipate taking four position players with the first five picks, but trusted the Draft board, which led to the selections. The three college players Pittsburgh selected in Curiel, Rembert and DeCaro are all players the Pirates were familiar with out of high school, and kept tabs on throughout their college careers as they competed in high-powered conferences like the SEC and ACC.

A few highlights of Day 2 included the selection of Alex Overbay at No. 228. The right-handed pitcher out of Arizona State is the son of former Pirates first baseman Lyle Overbay. Pittsburgh also stole Georgia third baseman Tre Phelps in the ninth round and took a Canadian player with one of the Draft’s best names, Damarcus Rideout-Carter.

“I think we got better as an organization over the last couple days,” Graves said Sunday. “Certainly really excited to add the group of players that we did yesterday, and then coming into today, really continue to stay true to our philosophy and our strategy on the types of players that we want to add to the organization, and felt like it went really well.”

Aiden Ruiz, INF

Round 2, Pick 44
Bats/throws: S/S
School: Stony Brook High School (NY)
Calling Card: Ruiz is an elite defender who is arguably the best defensive shortstop in the Draft. He’s listed as a switch-thrower, throwing left-handed from the outfield and right-handed in the infield.
Quote: “We always talk about fielding. It’s always cool to meet your heroes.” -- Ruiz, on training with his favorite player, Lindor

Chris Rembert, 2B

Round 2, Pick 51
Bats/throws: R/R
School: Auburn
Calling Card: Rembert has some of the best bat speed in the Draft, and enters professional baseball as a Draft-eligible sophomore.
Quote: “I have always had a strong approach, but coming to Auburn has just sharpened that approach. What we do at practice plays a lot into my success. Sticking to my approach and not switching it up based on the pitcher or count has helped. I just stick to who I am and what I am good at.” -- Rembert, on his improved approach

Jason DeCaro, RHP

Round 3, Pick 80
Bats/throws: R/R
School: North Carolina
Calling Card: DeCaro reclassified from the 2024 class to 2023 and is just 20 years old. His stardom helped the Tar Heels reach the College World Series finals.
Quote: “Just accepted that [it could be the last game], and there’s no reason to think about what happens if we don’t win. Just knew the stakes going into it, and just accepted it, and tried to go out there and execute.” -- DeCaro, after his performance in UNC’s super regional

Andruw Giles, OF

Round 4, Pick 108
Bats/throws: L/L
School: Basic High School (NV)
Quote: “This is a player that, as both our scouts and our player development group spent a lot of time on, he's got a chance to be a very special bat in our eyes." -- Graves

Rounds 5-10
The Pirates went pitcher-heavy, taking all college arms for their first four selections on Sunday.

Tyler Fay, RHP

Round 6, Pick 169
Bats/throws: R/R
School: Alabama
Calling Card: Fay was a four-year pitcher at Alabama, capping his career with a no-hitter against Florida in March of his senior campaign. Fay’s fastball is in the 91-93 mph range, but his command makes him an impressive pitcher.

Rounds 11-15
Pittsburgh continued its run on college pitchers, but took a chance on a left-handed high school arm committed to LSU.

Spencer Evans, LHP

Round 11, Pick 318
Bats/throws: L/L
School: TNXL Academy (FL)
Calling Card: Evans is a left-hander who has touched 96 mph with his fastball. The Pirates will try to sign him away from his LSU commitment, though he’ll need development in his command.

Rounds 16-20
The Pirates went after another LSU commit who’s highly ranked and was a high school star, while adding onto the college pitcher cycle.

Malachi Washington, OF

Round 18, Pick 528
Bats/throws: R/R
School: Parkview High School (GA)
Calling Card: Washington comes from one of the top high schools in the country, which produced Jeff Francoeur and Matt Olson. Washington posted on his Instagram story to reassure his commitment to LSU. He’s the No. 118-ranked player per MLB Pipeline.