Pirates select Blake Taylor in 2nd round of MLB Draft

After taking Austin Meadows and Reese McGuire in the first round, the Pirates picked Blake Taylor, a projectable lefty high school pitcher from California, with the No. 51 pick in the second round. He throws a 90-92 MPH fastball and curve but doesn't have much of a changeup yet, although that's hardly unusual at age 17. He has a commitment to Hawaii.

MLB.com ranked Taylor the No. 61 prospect in the draft; Baseball America ranked him No. 54. Keith Law ranks him No. 40. In other words, it seems like Taylor's talent is perfectly in line with the No. 51 overall pick.

Judging from the video below and from Law's commentary, it doesn't seem like Taylor's control is the best. But this pick is about projection -- he's a very young lefty who can throw in the low 90s and might one day sit in the low-to-mid 90s, with a workable curveball.

This article makes it sound like signability is a question, but I doubt it really is now that he's been selected in the second round.