The Pittsburgh Pirates selected Michigan State shortstop Mitch Jebb in the second round of the MLB Draft on Sunday night in Seattle.
Jebb, 21, batted .337/.438/.495 with 15 doubles, seven triples, one home run and 36 RBIs this past season for the Spartans. He also shined in the wood-bat Cape Cod League last summer, batting .356 with 22 RBIs, 40 runs scored and 26 stolen bases.
The 6-foot-1, 185-pounder played third base in the Cape but primarily plays shortstop and second base and is ranked the draft’s No. 46 prospect by MLB Pipeline. The slot value for the 42nd pick is $2.05 million.
Mitch Jebb @MSUBaseball is a huge "sleeper" in the 2023 MLB Draft. Covers the inside part of the plate better than anyone. Elite contact rates. Elite "spoil" rates. Budding EVs. Versatile glove. Gonna be a solid player at the next level. Tommy Edman? Jeff McNeil? 2B/LF for me. pic.twitter.com/dPsB1j2rjS
— Joe Doyle (@JoeDoyleMiLB) July 6, 2023
2023 RHP (6’6 190) Zander Mueth (Belleville East) sat 94-96MPH tonight is his Bullpen tonight. Locked In, filled up the zone! Ole Miss Commit.#MPLAthlete pic.twitter.com/OiQcVQIC3S
— Maximized Pitching Lab (@MaxPitchingLab) January 24, 2022
With their third pick, the Pirates selected right-handed pitcher Zander Mueth from Belleville (Ill.) East High School in the Competitive Balance Round B.
The 6-foot-6, 205-pounder was selected with the No. 67 pick, which has a slot value of $1.13 million, and is ranked the No. 83 prospect by MLB Pipeline. An Ole Miss commit, Mueth had a 2.63 ERA with 62 strikeouts in 37 ⅓ innings over 10 starts as a senior. He throws a fastball that touches 97 mph, a low-80s slider and a mid-80s changeup.
