Pirates Select Austin Meadows with 9th Overall Pick in Draft

The Pittsburgh Pirates today announced they have selected outfielder Austin Meadows with the ninth overall selection in the 2013 First-Year Player Draft (compensation pick for not signing 2012 first round selection). The announcement was made by Joe DelliCarri, Pirates Director of Scouting.

Meadows hit .535 with 14 doubles, one triple, four home runs and 28 RBI as a senior this year at Grayson (GA) High School. He was rated as the third-best position player and the fifth-best player overall in this year's draft by Baseball America. He was also rated by the same publication as the "Best Athlete", having the "Best Strike Zone Judgment", as well as the second-best "Pure Hitter" and "Closest Player to the Majors" among high school players.

The 18-year-old outfielder was also a 2013 Rawlings pre-season first-team All-American. As a junior in 2012 at Grayson High School, he helped lead his team to the Georgia Class 6A state semifinals with four home runs, 28 RBI and 19 stolen bases. He also led the USA Baseball 16U National Team to the IBAF World Youth Championship in 2011 in Mexico, leading the team in hits (22), doubles (five), triples (three), RBI (28) and stolen bases (six) while also setting a record for the most RBI and earning a spot on the all-tournament team.

The Pirates selected catcher Reese McGuire with the 14th overall selection in the draft out of Kentwood (WA) High School. As a senior this year McGuire hit .436 with 13 doubles, three triples, four home runs and 20 RBI. He was rated as the fifth-best position player and the 12th-best player overall in this year's draft by Baseball America. He was also rated by the same publication as the second-best "Defensive Player" among high school picks in the draft.

The 18-year-old McGuire was named the 2012-13 Gatorade Washington Player-of-the-Year while also receiving the 2012 USA Baseball Dick Chase Award after helping USA's 18-and-under team defeat Canada and win the gold medal at the IBAF 18U World Championship in Seoul, South Korea last September.

Previous winners of the award include Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman and righthander Stephen Strasburg, Mariners first baseman Justin Smoak and Cubs outfield prospect Albert Almora.