Pirates Go Pitching Heavy to Start Day Two of the 2026 MLB Draft
The Pirates drafted five pitchers in rounds 5-10 of the MLB draft, while also adding a power hitting third baseman.
The 2026 MLB Draft resumed on Sunday afternoon, with the Pittsburgh Pirates going pitching-heavy at the start of day two.
The Pirates drafted five pitchers in rounds 5-10, while also selecting a power hitting third baseman. All of the picks were from the college ranks.
MLB’s bonus pool system includes all players from the top ten rounds. The Pirates will have to sign all of these early day two picks, along with their day one picks, within the constraints of their total bonus pool. Since the day two picks were college players, it seems likely the Pirates will sign all of them.
Day two runs through the completion of the 20-round draft. Here are the recaps of the Pirates’ selections in rounds 5-10.
5th Round, 140th Overall: Ryan Marohn, LHP
The Pirates opened day two by selecting their second pitcher of the draft, and their second college pitcher. The 6’ 2”, 192 pound Marohn was drafted out of NC State, where he attended for three years after previously being drafted out of high school by Cleveland in the 20th round in 2023.
Ryan Marohn Rankings:
Baseball America: 89th
MLB Pipeline: 149th
ESPN: 177th
FanGraphs: Unranked
Marohn had a 3.18 ERA in 45.1 innings this year with NC State, along with a 62:22 K/BB ratio. His three-year career saw a 3.51 ERA in 189.2 innings, striking out 199 and walking 66. His strikeouts increased each season, while control was an issue that lasted all three years.
Ryan Marohn Pitches (Pipeline):
Fastball: 50
Velocity: 90-93, 95
Curveball: 45
Slider: 45
Changeup: 55
Control: 50
Overall: 45
Marohn has two average or better pitches and average control, with his changeup being his best offering. The fastball sits low 90s, touching 95, which isn’t bad from the left side. He also adds fringe-average breaking stuff. If the Pirates can develop up one of the breaking pitches, he could have a chance to remain in the rotation.
Marohn’s fastball operates at 90-93 mph and peaks at 95, playing better than its velocity thanks to carry, command and deception. It works well with his best offering, a mid-80s changeup that induces a lot of chases with its tumble. His mid-70s curveball and low-80s slider flashed as solid pitches in 2025 but haven’t been nearly as effective this year.
Marohn’s control has regressed as well, though he has continued to thrive while missing more bats than ever. He throws off hitters’ timing with some crossfire in his delivery, funk in his arm action and wide angle. While his floor is more impressive than his ceiling, he could be a useful southpaw starter.
Marohn seems to have seen a decline with those breaking pitches this year, which does increase the hopes of improving one of the pitches. If he never had a quality breaking pitch, the challenge would be discovering how to develop one. Marohn’s challenge seems like it would be figuring out how to rediscover what was working in the past.
One thing that also stood out here was that his walk rate improved in 2025, then declined to his worst rate in 2026. That also increases hope that there’s a level to which he can return, versus trying to discover better control for the first time.
6th Round, 169th Overall: Tyler Fay, RHP
Fay is a college senior who spent three years with Alabama, after pitching in the Prospect League in the summer of 2023. He was a redshirt walk-on with Alabama in 2023, and made his way onto the mound with Alabama the season following his work in the summer leagues.
Tyler Fay Rankings:
Baseball America: 132nd
MLB Pipeline: 229th
FanGraphs had him as the 13th best college pitcher outside of their top 75
ESPN: Unranked
The numbers from Fay aren’t great, but show some promising aspects. He had a 4.54 ERA in 109 innings this past season. This was the second year he improved on his ERA with Alabama, after an 8.47 ERA out of the bullpen in 2024. Fay made 18 starts, and struck out 127 batters for a career-high 28.4% strikeout rate. His biggest issue came with the long ball, allowing 1.73 HR/9.
Tyler Fay Pitches (Pipeline):
Fastball: 50
Velocity: 91-93, 97
Slider: 55
Cutter: 45
Changeup: 45
Control: 55
Overall: 40
Fay has a good mix of pitches, with two average or better offerings and two fringe-average pitches that will need work to remain a starter. His control is above-average, increasing his ability to remain a starter. The most valuable aspect in the short-term is his workload history. Pitching 109 innings in 2026 means he shouldn’t have an issue making the jump to a full-season pro ball rotation.
Fay doesn’t light up radar guns, but he pounds the strike zone with a fastball that sits at 91-93 mph and reaches 97 with run, sink and deception. He uses his heater to set up his best pitch, a sweeping slider that parks around 80 mph and works against both left-handers and right-handers. He’ll need a better third offering at the next level because neither his low-80s changeup nor his mid-80s cutter fools enough hitters.
The 6-foot-5 Fay uses his lanky frame and low arm slot to create a flat approach angle and wide release that are especially tough on righties. His lack of velocity leaves him more vulnerable to lefties, against whom he must command his arsenal well to succeed. He has no difficulty providing strikes but sometimes catches too much of the plate.
The fastball/slider combo gives Fay a chance to make it as a reliever long-term, though he’s likely to get work as a starter to begin his pro career. His struggles against lefties could be solved with an improved changeup, which could also increase his chances of remaining a starter. While he’s a senior, his redshirt status gives him one more year of eligibility, so he’s not necessarily a bonus pool savings candidate.
7th Round, 198th Overall: Bryson Moore, RHP
The Pirates continued their run of college pitchers in the seventh round, selecting Bryson Moore, a junior out of Florida State. Moore began his college career at UVA, then moved to FSU in 2026 following a coaching change at Virginia.
Bryson Moore Rankings:
ESPN: 226th Overall
Baseball America: 282nd Overall
MLB Pipeline: Unranked
FanGraphs: Unranked
In the move to FSU, Moore saw an increase in his usage, making 14 starts, which matched his previous two seasons combined. He had a 3.86 ERA in 67.2 innings, throwing more than twice as many innings as he did with UVA. He struck out 65 batters, and had a slight improvement on his control for the third year in a row.
Bryson Moore Pitches:
Fastball: 92-94, 96
Cutter
Sweeper
Changeup
Moore overhauled his pitch arsenal heading into the 2026 season. He added a cutter, converted his slider into a sweeper, and made an adjustment to his changeup grip. The changeup was thrown with more confidence, including right-on-right matchups, which is a scenario where Moore didn’t use the pitch in the past. He grew more comfortable knowing when to throw all of his pitches, as he discussed in this interview with D1Baseball.
Moore didn’t have high rankings in this draft, but he is a guy who has recently overhauled a lot of his game. That’s a valuable skill that doesn’t always get proper respect in scouting reports. When a player can evaluate their own game and determine adjustments need to be made, and when they can successfully make those adjustments, it indicates they are likely to develop further in the future.
8th Round, 228th Overall: Alex Overbay, RHP
Alex is the son of Lyle Overbay, who spent 14 years in the Majors, including the 2011 season as the first baseman for the Pirates. If you are old enough to have watched Lyle Overbay’s career, then the drafting of his son is a reminder that you’re probably at the age where it’s a good idea to schedule a colonoscopy.
The younger Overbay played for Arizona State in 2026, after two years with UNLV. He was a two-way player his freshman year with UNLV, playing first base and pitching. He converted to pitching full time in 2025, and made four starts in 2026, before winding up back in the bullpen.
Overbay had a 5.79 ERA in 42 innings this year, with a 10.7 K/9 and a 5.8 BB/9. He only pitched 73 innings across three seasons in college ball, so his arm is fresh, but also on the raw side for development.
Alex Overbay Pitches:
Fastball: 95-97, 98
Cutter
Slider: Mid-80s
Changeup: High-80s
Perfect Game, which rated Overbay their 420th best prospect in this draft, noted that Overbay uses his cutter at a high rate, and can miss bats with his slider, sitting in the mid-80s with sweeper action. Keith Law graded the slider above-average, but noted there’s no plus pitch in Overbay’s arsenal. He also throws a high-80s changeup to pair with a fastball that can touch upper 90s.
Overbay is raw, but has some positives to work with, led by the fastball velocity and the slider quality. He’ll need to work on his control, which could come as a result of more experience on the mound.
9th Round, 258th Overall: Tre Phelps, 3B
The Pirates broke their run of selecting pitchers with ninth round third baseman Phelps. He played three years with Georgia, while also playing on the U.S. college national team in 2024.
Tre Phelps Rankings:
Baseball America: 120th Overall
MLB Pipeline: 121st Overall
ESPN: 230th Overall
FanGraphs: Unranked
Phelps had a down year in 2025, and withdrew from the draft as an eligible sophomore. After hitting .353 with a 1.140 OPS and 12 homers as a freshman, he dropped to .318 with a .957 OPS and 10 homers in 2025.
This year was a bounce-back season. He hit .348 with a 1.096 OPS, including a career-high .468 OBP. He also launched a career-high 19 home runs across 312 plate appearances.
Tre Phelps Tools (Pipeline):
Hit: 50
Power: 55
Speed: 45
Field: 40
Overall: 45
Phelps was drafted as a third baseman, but his fielding grades profile him to eventually move to left field or first base. He’s got the best power the Pirates have drafted so far in 2026, and that will be needed with the limited fielding value. His average hit tool and above-average power project as someone who can handle a move to an offensive-driven position.
Phelps generates tremendous bat speed from the right side of the plate, showing the ability to catch up to high-end velocity and produce impressive exit velocities. He has done a better job of staying under control at the plate in 2026, though he still chases too many pitches and is vulnerable to sliders. He has the tools to become a solid hitter with 25-homer power and enhances his on-base ability by getting hit by pitches (35 this spring, two shy of the NCAA Division I record).
Phelps posts fringy run times out of the batter’s box but can flash solid speed on occasion. The biggest question facing him is where he’ll play in pro ball after trying all four corners as well as second base with the Bulldogs. He has spent the most time at third base but he lacks infield actions and possesses just average arm strength, making the hot corner a tough fit at the next level. Left field may be his best-case scenario and he could wind up at first base.
The hit-by-pitch total — 35 in 2026 after 13 in each of the previous two seasons — shows he adopted a fearless approach at the plate during the biggest power season of his career.
The questions are whether his swing and miss will be an issue against upper level pitching, and whether he can find a spot on the field where his bat can play without defense taking away from the overall game. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Phelps launching home runs in High-A Greensboro by this time next season.
10th Round, 288th Overall: Michael Gibson, RHP
Gibson moved around during his college career, while also working as a two-way player in his final two seasons. He began as a walk-on hitter for Charleston Southern in 2023, before going down with hamate surgery. He also had a heart problem in 2024 that led to a missed season.
He transferred to Liberty in 2025, and began moving to pitching during his return to the game. He was initially hitting 91 MPH, which led to an eventual transition to a two-way player.
Gibson transferred to The Citadel in 2026, and had success in his new two-way role. On the mound, he had a 5.26 ERA in 53 innings, striking out 73 batters and walking 21. At the plate, he hit .408/.480/.633 with six homers in 177 plate appearances. The Pirates drafted him as a pitcher, favoring the mound work of the young right-hander, who only had 58 innings in college.
The 6’ 3”, 200 pound Gibson has gotten his fastball up to sitting 91-94 MPH and has a slider in that hits 80 MPH. The Pirates will have the chance to develop an arm that is fairly new to pitching, while displaying some early potential with velocity gains and strikeout ability.
The Pirates Prospects Draft Pick Signing Tracker is updated with all of the top ten round selections. Pirates Prospects will continue live updates for rounds 11-20. Draft analysis can be found here at Pittsburgh Baseball Live.
The next recap will conclude after the 20th round pick…
-Tim Williams