Pirates Wrap Up 2026 Draft With Two More Signings
Rohan Lettow and Damarcus Rideout-Carter give the Pirates two pitching projects with upside.
The Pittsburgh Pirates wrapped up their 2026 draft with the signing of two more picks, bringing their total to 18 of 21 picks signed.
Rohan Lettow, a junior from San Diego State, and Damarcus Rideout-Carter, a prep pitcher from Canada, were the final players added before Monday’s deadline.
Rideout-Carter, drafted in the 14th round, received an over-slot bonus of $211,300. The first $150,000 doesn’t count toward the bonus pool, but the overage took all but $2,500 of the Pirates’ remaining pool money.
The young right-hander can hit 95 MPH with his fastball, while throwing a slider that could grade above-average, and a changeup that sits mid-80s. Rideout-Carter pitched in the MLB Draft League this year, throwing 4.2 innings with eight earned runs. He walked nine and struck out six. His arm has potential, but is clearly on the raw tools side.
Lettow was taken in the 12th round, and doesn’t have a long track record of success as a pitcher. He transferred to San Diego State in 2026, and made a lot of positive adjustments last fall that carried into the season. His fastball now sits 93, and he throws four other pitches. He generated a 37% whiff rate and good chase rates during his junior year.
In his previous two seasons with Arizona State, Lettow only pitched 10.1 innings combined. He threw 78.1 innings for San Diego State in 2026, with a 3.79 ERA, 92 strikeouts, and 27 walks. This followed a 1.72 ERA and 27 strikeouts in 16.2 innings in the New England Collegiate Baseball League last summer. Despite being a college junior, Lettow has an arm that hasn’t experienced a lot of use. The Pirates are buying in right after an overhaul to his game, and after a small sample of breakout success.
With both signings the Pirates land arms that are early on the development curve. Both pitchers have shown some upside, with a good pitch mix, and very little usage.
Unsigned Picks
The Pirates had three unsigned picks from their 2026 draft class.
Malachi Washington and Andrew Duncan aren’t a surprise. Washington, a prep outfielder drafted in the 18th round, announced immediately after the draft that he was planning to attend LSU. Duncan, a college junior drafted in the 19th round, announced after the draft he will transfer to Tennessee to be their starting center fielder in 2027.
The Pirates never had a real shot with either player, especially with the bulk of their over-slot money going to top ten round picks.
Grant Govel, a pitcher drafted in the 16th round, also went unsigned. Govel was a draft eligible sophomore, which means he can return to USC for his junior season and be eligible for up to two more drafts. He was considered the 216th best prospect in the draft by MLB Pipeline, and is another pitcher who had a breakout before the Pirates selected him.
The Pirates spent their bonus pool, but they didn’t go into the overage. Each team can spend up to 5% over their bonus pool amount, with a 75% tax on each dollar spent above the pool. The Pirates have only significantly gone into this range in two of Ben Cherington’s seven drafts: 2021 and 2024. In both cases, they went into the overage due to their top ten round selections.
Tomorrow, I’ll be recapping the entire 2026 Pirates draft class, now that the group is final.
Until the recap…
-Tim Williams