Thomas Harrington knew that Campbell University had never produced a first-round pick in the MLB Draft, so he was thrilled to be involved in changing its history.
After the Los Angeles Angels selected Campbell shortstop Zach Neto at No. 13 overall Sunday night, the Pittsburgh Pirates picked Harrington at No. 36 in the Competitive Balance A round.
The tiny, private school in Buies Creek, N.C., suddenly had delivered the equivalent of two first-rounders in the same draft. Hours after Neto signed with the Angels for a $3.5 million bonus, Harrington signed with the Pirates for $2.05 million. (The slot value was $2,150,300).
“It’s incredible,” said Harrington, who was signed by scout Mike Bradford. “Campbell doesn’t really recruit a lot of high-end talent out of high school, which is pretty neat for Neto and I to experience that this time and this draft. It’s awesome to see him succeed and that the university has had such a great time.
“It’s an awesome feeling. It’s something I’ve worked for my entire life. I couldn’t be with a better organization, so I’m ready to get rolling.”
Harrington was one of four Pirates draft picks to sign Friday, with three agreeing to bonuses below their slot value. Second-rounder Hunter Barco, a left-handed pitcher from Florida, signed for $1.525 million (slot value at No. 44 was $1,776,100). Third-rounder Jack Brannigan, a third baseman/right-handed pitcher from Notre Dame, signed for the slot value at No. 83 of $770,700. Eighth-rounder Cy Nielson, a left-hander from BYU, signed for $175,000 ($18,200 below slot value at No. 230).
Barco went 17-5 with a 3.18 ERA, 189 strikeouts and a .213 batting average against in 30 games at Florida but underwent Tommy John surgery in May. That dropped him out of the first round but he was still selected higher than most mock drafts had projected.
“After the injury, I knew I was going to drop a little bit,” said Barco, who was signed by scout Cam Murphy. “The Pirates showed that they trusted me, trusted that I’d do the rehab process effectively and take care of what I need to take care of.”
Brannigan led the Fighting Irish in doubles (15) and was second in both hits (62) and home runs (12), including the go-ahead shot in their upset win over top-ranked Tennessee. He became a valued two-way player when his fastball touched triple digits, but the Pirates intend to start him as a position player before introducing him to pitching in the minors.
“I’ve played the field my whole life. I just started picking up pitching a couple years ago,” said Brannigan, signed by scout Anthony Wycklendt. “I’d say right now I’m probably (partial) to playing the field but I’m open to anything. I just want to help the organization succeed and bring a ring to Pittsburgh.”
Nielson was a 40th-round pick by Cleveland out of high school but boosted his stock wiht a strong season. He went 3-0 with a 3.21 ERA, 45 strikeouts and a .222 batting average against in 28 appearances as a reliever for BYU, then went 2-0 with a 1.98 ERA and 17 strikeouts in four games (three starts) for the Chatham Anglers in the Cape Cod League.
“It’s really exciting,” said Nielson, who was signed by scout Derrick Van Dusen. “I got drafted out of high school so it’s felt like a while leading up to this point. But being here, signing a contract and getting everything out of the way, it’s really, really exciting to get going and, honestly, a dream come true.”
