You can call it the year of the shortstop as the Pirates drafted shortstops Kevin Newman and Kevin Kramer, while also drafting third basemen Ke’Bryan Hayes.
“It’s a good year for shortstops and it’s been a good year for middle-of-the-diamond players,” Pirates general manager Neal Huntington said. “Each Draft has strengths. Each Draft has challenges. This just happened to be a good year for middle-of-the-diamond players.”
Newman got the call two minutes before the selection was made and despite being both a Padres and Derek Jeter fan, he was pleased to hear it was the Pirates on the other end.
“When I found out I was drafted by the Pirates, I was ecstatic,” Newman said. “I had my family with me and everyone was happy.”
The Pirates, Newman said, were either the first or second team that showed the most interest in him.
He describes himself as a gap-to-gap hitter who always looks to steal a base or stretch a single into a double if it’s there. Newman has stolen 22 bases this season and has a .370 batting average. Newman plans on sticking to the same approach unless he is told otherwise by the Pirates.
“You have to believe in the hitter first and traits you look for,” said Huntington. “If the right elements are there, the power will come.”
Newman cited his back-to-back batting titles in the Cape Cod League that placed him on team’s radars. He also used a past disappointment as a launching pad.
“I thought I would be drafted in high school and when I didn’t, that added more fuel to the fire,” Newman said.
The Hayes selection served as compensation for Russell Martin signing with the Toronto Blue Jays in the off-season. Hayes is 18-years old and a graduate of Concordia Lutheran High School.
“He does exhibit a very good feel for the game,” scouting director Joe DelliCarri said. “The way he operates within the game, how he sees the game. So I would say in his case, Ke’Bryan did show consistently that feel, instincts for the game.
Hayes’s father Charlie had a 14-year major league career that included a season with the Pirates.
“In this case with Ke’Bryan, it’s showing on both sides of the ball,” said DelliCarri. “His feel and understanding and play within the game, his control of the game, his ability to slow things down on both sides of the ball were strong.”
The Pirates like his offensive upside, however he will have to work a bit on his defense.
The night concluded for the Pirates with the selection of Kramer.
Kramer is a redshirt at UCLA and had to miss the 2014 season with a torn labrum in his right shoulder. This season Kramer has responded with a .323 average and seven home runs.
“We see … great signs of continuing strength from what he’s doing from where he started at the beginning of the year through the middle and end of the year,” DelliCarri said.
The Pirates saw Kramer’s strong throwing arm having signs of coming back while he also showed the ability of finishing the play as he did prior to the injury.
“We feel more than fine with where he’s at,” said DelliCarri. “I think we’re going to continue to see a little bit more as he goes.”
Pirates fans can expect Kramer to exhibit a patient approach at the plate and a willingness to take walks when he is pitched around.
“I’ve always been a pretty patient hitter,” Kramer said to the OC Register in May. “I’ve never been too aggressive swinging at balls. I’ve always been pretty selective. It’s one of those things I grew up with.”
The 2015 MLB Draft continues Tuesday and the Pirates have the 96th selection in the third round. There are 40 total rounds in the draft.
