The 2025 MLB Draft begins tonight, which means a plethora of young players will get their names called by major-league teams over the next several days. The first three rounds will take place beginning at 6 p.m., and our Greg Macafee will have you fully covered, as the Pirates hold the No. 6 overall pick. They'll make four picks in the first three rounds.
It's a special day for young, aspiring big leaguers looking to begin their professional careers, and a number of players on the Pirates' current roster know what that's like.
"It's a huge step, a huge milestone and a huge accomplishment for these young guys to achieve," said Nick Gonzales, taken seventh overall in 2020. "At the end of the day, it's also a huge step forward and a huge commitment to becoming a professional athlete and a professional player with all the challenges and everything that comes with it. I think it's really exciting for them to get to put on a professional uniform for the first time and make their way up through the minor leagues. For some people, it's really quick, and for some people it takes longer, but everyone's journey is different. I would tell any of them to enjoy it all."
AndrewHeaney, taken ninth overall by the Marlins in 2012: "I got drafted in the 24th round out of high school and ended up going to college. I was pretty tempted to sign because you want to play pro ball, you want to get your career started. I think it was a smart decision for me to go to school. I knew I had things I needed to work on and get better at, and it worked out for me. Two things. Don't try and rush into it. Like, make sure it's the right decision for you. Don't get sucked into getting paid to go do it. I know the college landscape is totally different now, I wasn't a part of any of the NIL stuff. And then the second thing is if there's anything I've learned from being in the big leagues, yeah, there's a lot of first rounders that get to the big leagues, but you meet guys that are 10th rounders, 15, 20-round guys, guys that were senior signs, guys that were undrafted. So, the draft is not the end-all, be-all of whether you're gonna end up reaching your ultimate goal."
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THE ASYLUM
José Negron
12:45 pm - 07.12.2025MinneapolisThe 2025 MLB Draft begins tonight, which means a plethora of young players will get their names called by major-league teams over the next several days. The first three rounds will take place beginning at 6 p.m., and our Greg Macafee will have you fully covered, as the Pirates hold the No. 6 overall pick. They'll make four picks in the first three rounds.
It's a special day for young, aspiring big leaguers looking to begin their professional careers, and a number of players on the Pirates' current roster know what that's like.
"It's a huge step, a huge milestone and a huge accomplishment for these young guys to achieve," said Nick Gonzales, taken seventh overall in 2020. "At the end of the day, it's also a huge step forward and a huge commitment to becoming a professional athlete and a professional player with all the challenges and everything that comes with it. I think it's really exciting for them to get to put on a professional uniform for the first time and make their way up through the minor leagues. For some people, it's really quick, and for some people it takes longer, but everyone's journey is different. I would tell any of them to enjoy it all."
Andrew Heaney, taken ninth overall by the Marlins in 2012: "I got drafted in the 24th round out of high school and ended up going to college. I was pretty tempted to sign because you want to play pro ball, you want to get your career started. I think it was a smart decision for me to go to school. I knew I had things I needed to work on and get better at, and it worked out for me. Two things. Don't try and rush into it. Like, make sure it's the right decision for you. Don't get sucked into getting paid to go do it. I know the college landscape is totally different now, I wasn't a part of any of the NIL stuff. And then the second thing is if there's anything I've learned from being in the big leagues, yeah, there's a lot of first rounders that get to the big leagues, but you meet guys that are 10th rounders, 15, 20-round guys, guys that were senior signs, guys that were undrafted. So, the draft is not the end-all, be-all of whether you're gonna end up reaching your ultimate goal."
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