Jonathan Mayo's new 2012 MLB mock draft doesn't have the Pirates taking Arizona State shortstop Deven Marrero, but rather high school pitcher Max Fried.
The talk about the Pirates and Arizona State shortstop Deven Marrero hasn't gone away and Marrero did have a good weekend with the bat. But his offensive struggles this season have some concerned and the Pirates certainly have shown they like good young arms in the Draft. Fried is one of the best, bouncing back from two shaky starts with a playoff shutout last week.
High school arms are, of course, a risk in the first round, but the Pirates aren't going to get someone perfect with the No. 8 overall selection in a weak draft. To the outsider, Fried certainly appears to be a more exciting pick than Marrero, a good defensive shortstop who has had serious problems hitting this year. Here's Mayo's scouting report on Fried.
Fried has a good three-pitch mix and knows how to use it. His fastball sits comfortably in the 90-91 mph range, but he can reach back for 93-94 mph when he needs to. His fastball has good natural sink and he'll also throw a cutter. He's got a Major League average curve that he can throw for strikes at any point in the count and his changeup should be above average, with good deception and late sink.
Fried is a lefty, and he has that type of projectable, 6-foot-4 frame that the Pirates seem to love.
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