Pirates Sign Four Draft Picks
The 2026 bonus pool is coming into shape for the Pittsburgh Pirates after their first wave of signings.
The Pittsburgh Pirates announced four new draft signings on Monday afternoon, locking down several picks after the tenth round.
The recently signed players are below, with quick notes on each player.
13th Round: Griffin Steig, RHP
Stieg sat 93-95 MPH, touching 97 with a two-seam fastball. He also throws a low-80s slider and a low-80s changeup. He’s got three pitches that could grade out as average, along with above-average control. He missed the 2025 season with Tommy John, and went back to Virginia Tech after being drafted in the 18th round by Seattle. He’s now ready to start his pro career.
15th Round: Liam O’Leary, RHP
O’Leary spent two seasons pitching in the JuCo ranks before transferring to St. John’s for his junior year. In 108.2 innings, he had a 3.64 ERA, 78 strikeouts, and 32 walks. He showed swing and miss ability and had success in JuCo ball. The drawback is lacking innings against a higher level of competition. He’s done well in the limited experience he’s received.
17th Round: Nathan Helman, RHP
Helman pitched the last two years at Kennesaw State, and was drafted as a redshirt junior. The 6’ 4”, 200 pound right-hander spent most of that time in the bullpen, combining for a 6.62 ERA in 51.2 innings, with 63 strikeouts and 29 walks. He had better results last year in the California Collegiate League, where he had a 1.64 ERA in 11 innings, with a 21:6 K/BB. At every level, he’s missed bats, but control has been an issue.
20th Round: Dakota Stone, LHP
Stone, a college senior, has pitched all over Florida in his four-year career. This past year, he moved to North Florida, where he had the best results of his career. Stone worked as a starter, with a 2.85 ERA in 79 innings. He struck out 102 and walked 39. Stone got his fastball up to 96 MPH pitching in the MLB Draft League last summer. He’s shown control issues, but also the ability to get swing and miss, with an interesting arm that could fill innings in the lower levels.
Bonus Pool Update
The Draft Pick Signing Tracker is updated with all of the latest moves.
The Pirates have now completed most of their easier signings. They’ve locked down all of their picks in rounds 5-10, while saving around $267,000 in pool space.
I don’t see an issue with signing any of their top five picks from the first four rounds. I also don’t think the Pirates will go over their bonus pool into the 0-5% zone that would draw a tax.
After the 10th round, they have six players remaining. Two of those players have announced they plan to go to school. Malachi Washington, a prep outfielder taken in the 18th round, has announced he will go to LSU. Andrew Duncan, a Wright State junior, has announced he will be transferring to Tennessee to be their center fielder.
Beyond those two players, 11th round prep pitcher Spencer Evans could be signed with the extra bonus money. I could see 14th round prep pitcher Damarcus Rideout-Carter being an easier sign, as he doesn’t have a commitment to any school.
Rohan Lettow and Grant Govel are two of the better pitchers taken by the Pirates after the tenth round. Lettow is a good development story, recently finding success with San Diego State in the last year, with a five pitch mix. Govel is a sophomore who has touched 94-95 MPH, and has some leverage with the ability to return to the draft next year.
It’s always possible that the Pirates could change the minds of Washington and/or Duncan before the August 1st signing deadline. Washington would be the best get of the entire group.
Undrafted Free Agent Signing
The Pirates also announced the signing of undrafted free agent Kyle Calzadiaz, a right-handed pitcher from San Jose State.
Calzadiaz had a 6.15 ERA in 45.1 innings his year, striking out 56 and walking 36. He went to the MLB Draft League over the summer and threw seven shutout innings, striking out 11 batters.
The Pirates assigned Calzadiaz and all four draft signings to the FCL.
Until the Pirates sign more picks…
-Tim Williams