Pittsburgh Pirates 2021 Draft Prospects: OF Bryalon Bishop
Over the past couple of years, the Pittsburgh Pirates have had several prospects go through their Minor League system with varying degrees of success. However, if there is one position they have done a good job of developing, it is the outfield. Over the last several seasons, the Pirates have had some of the best outfielders in the league from Nate McLouth (2000) to Andrew McCutchen (2005) to Starling Marte (intl. Free agent) the Pirates have had success with developing outfielders. That development will be put to the test once again in the coming years with guys like Travis Swaggerty and Cal Mitchell not too far away from the Big Leagues. With Ben Cherington and his new regime taking over for their second draft, there is another outfield highly regarded as one of the best prep players in the draft who could get the eyes of the Pirates.
At 18-years-old, Braylon Bishop is a multi-sport athlete at Arkansas High school in Texarkana, Arkansas. He is the star quarterback on the football team and a track star, but his real calling comes on the Baseball Diamond. He is ranked as one of the top prep players in the draft this season, and experts predict him to be the first prep player taken in the first three rounds since Corey Ragsdale in 2001. At the age of 15 Bishop had already committed to play baseball at the University of Arkansas. However, if he gets a high draft slot, that could deter him from pursuing a career at college and go straight to the pros. General Manager Ben Cherington is known for taking the best available athlete, and if Bishop can fall to the Pirates in the second or third round, he could be a guy the Pirates take a chance on.
Athletic Ability All-Around
From the young age of 15-years-old, Braylon Bishop already knew which of his three sports he would pursue. He loved football and track, but his passion was on the Diamond, where he excelled on the field. At 6'1, 196 pounds, Bishop has a tall lanky body that he is still growing into and could produce a lot of power in his swing. Scouts say that when he makes contact it is usually solid contact, but there is also a lot of raw ability there. It is said when he faced better pitching, he had a tendency to get tied up and produce more strikeouts on the traveling circuit. He still has a lot of development to go through at just 18-years-old, but his bat speed and hard contact ability have scouts optimistic about his development.
His batting average reflects that optimism, as he hit .431 with 13 RBI during his senior campaign. His hit grade on a scale of 20-80 sits at just about average at 45, while his power grade sits at 50. Scouts say those numbers could continue to grow as he develops into a true professional baseball player. However, the skill that is showing prominently right now is his speed grade, which sits at a tidy 60 out of 80. As a comparison, Andrew McCutchen's speed grade was also a 60 at the time he was drafted, so Bishop presents about the same speed skill that McCutchen had. Because of this, he has the ability to play all three outfield positions effectively, though he has spent most of his time in centerfield in his high school career.
One key to being a Pirates outfielder is the fact that you have to have a lot of speed to cover the vast outfield that is PNC Park. With a 60 speed grade, Bishop definitely has that, and he compliments it with strong defensive abilities as well. His fielding grades out as a 55, with his arm strength also registering as a 55. Just like Bishop has the power at the plate, he also has a power arm that he has put on display throughout the showcase circuit. Scouts praise him for his ability to take good routes to the ball, and his reads that he makes off the bat. For a young kid with some good projections on the offensive side, having solid defense is only a plus that could keep him on many team's radars this draft.
How He Fits In The Pirates System
Ben Cherington in his first draft with the Pittsburgh Pirates surprised everyone taking Nick Gonzales as the #7 overall pick. There were a couple of other names that were linked to the Pirates, but Cherington said Gonzales was the best talent available, so he took him. This could be a similar situation in the first three rounds with a guy like Braylon Bishop. He is highly regarded as one of the best prep players in this year's draft, and if he falls to the Pirates in either the second or third round, he could be a player they jump on. At just 18-years-old, Bishop is still a young raw talent with some development to go through. It would probably be a toss-up as to whether or not Bishop would start at rookie ball or Low-A.
As far as where Bishop would fit in the grand scheme of things, if Travis Swaggerty and Cal Mitchell are the "next generation" of Pirates outfielders, I believe that Bishop would follow after them. Being that he is a high school player that still has some kinks to work out of his swing, it may take Bishop longer to progress through the Minor Leagues than some. MLB Pipeline worries about how he will match up against better pitching, and that is an aspect of his game where Braylon Bishop will have to prove himself. However, if he can at least play solid defense and use his arm strength to his advantage, he could be a guy that figures it out and becomes more of a contact/extra-base hit guy in pro ball.
Overall, it would be a riskier move for the Pirates to take Bishop in either the second or third round, but it could be a move that pays big dividends in the end. If he turns out to be a strong hitting outfielder, his defense could be something the Pirates use to their advantage. However, if he can't figure it out at the plate, he could turn into a talented guy who just couldn't make it past the lower levels of the Minor Leagues. The question with Bishop becomes where would the Pirates place him in the outfield. For a guy with decent power, my guess would be they put him in right field alongside Hudson Head with the Bradenton Marauders, where the two can grow together and kind of form that next big outfield duo in Pittsburgh.
The Pittsburgh Pirates (18-29) play game two of their three-game series with the Chicago Cubs (25-22) this evening at 6:35 pm. Wil Crowe (0-2, 4.91) takes the hill for the Pirates in search of his first MLB win against Trevor Williams (2-2, 5.47) for the Cubs. You can watch the game live on AT&T Sportsnet, listen on 93.7 The Fan, or follow along with us on Twitter by following @Buccos_Cove.
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