2016 MLB Draft: Pirates pick Nick Lodolo at No. 41

With the No. 41 pick in the draft, a Comp Round A pick, the Pirates selected Nick Lodolo, a tall high school lefty from California. He's committed to TCU, although he presumably won't be difficult to sign after having been picked this high.

MLB.com ranked Lodolo the 85th-best prospect in the draft. Baseball America ranked him No. 78. He's apparently hit 92-93 MPH in the past but has lately been closer to 88-90, with an inconsistent curve. Of course, as an 18-year-old who's 6-foot-6, Lodolo's current repertoire is less important than what he might throw in the future, and scouts are likely to see a player of his size as being projectable. Add in that he's left-handed, and it's easy to see the appeal, at least from a superficial perspective.

The Pirates' history with projectable prep pitchers is mixed, to say the least -- there's Tyler Glasnow, obviously, but then also a bunch of Zack Von Rosenbergs and Trent Stevensons who haven't worked out. But one Glasnow can end up justifying a whole bunch of other busted picks, and perhaps Lodolo is worth the risk.