Pair of Bucs Draft picks were once unlikely roommates

This story was excerpted from Alex Stumpf’s Pirates Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

Pirates first-round selection Konnor Griffin grew up over 1,800 miles away from Levi Sterling, the player the Bucs took with their Competitive Balance Round A pick at the end of the first round. Griffin grew up in Jackson, Miss., while Sterling attended Notre Dame High School, just north of Los Angeles. Logistically speaking, they shouldn’t know each other.

But Griffin knew Sterling and was excited to hear he can call Sterling a teammate. The two were roommates on a Team USA trip to Taiwan the year prior, where Griffin was impressed with what Sterling brought to the mound.

“It's great to see him get in the organization,” Griffin said. “Pirates took two high school guys. That kind of shows you they're on the road to success in the big leagues right now.”

So a Pirate of the future got to see how special the young right-hander is in person thanks to Team USA. Two Pirates of the past got to work with him there too. Jack Wilson and Michael McKenry both coach with Team USA and had Sterling on their “Red” squad, allowing them to work hands-on with him last summer.

“I didn’t know the Pirates were that high on him,” McKenry said. “I think they nailed it.”

There’s a lot to like about Sterling as a pitcher. He doesn’t turn 18 until September, but he can already ramp his fastball up to 94 mph with run. That velocity could continue to tick up as he matures and grows into his 6-foot-5 frame. Mix in a plus curveball, a sweeper and a changeup, and he could have four offerings that are better-than-average, if not greater. MLB Pipeline ranked him as the No. 58 Draft prospect in this class. The Pirates took him with the 37th pick, not wanting to risk losing him before their second-round selection.

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While the decision to select Sterling lies with the amateur scouting team, it certainly doesn’t hurt to get the endorsements of two notable former Pirates. Wilson played nine of his 12 Major League seasons with the Pirates from 2001-09, where he became an All-Star, Silver Slugger winner and one of the best defensive shortstops of his generation. McKenry spent three years with Pittsburgh from '11-13 and was part of the team that helped get the Pirates back to the playoffs. He now is one of SportsNet Pittsburgh’s main analysts on the Pirates.

“His upside on the mound is tremendous because he has such feel for the baseball,” Wilson said. “He knows how to manipulate it.”

“The coolest part about him is low maintenance, easy effort, really incredible feel,” McKenry said. “Multiple pitches that he can throw for strikes in just about any count. You just don’t see that at 17 years old.”

While McKenry’s catching experience certainly helps him get a unique vantage point with pitching, he was quick to point out that Sterling can swing the bat too. Wilson agreed, calling him the best hitter on his Team USA squad. The Pirates drafted Sterling just to be a pitcher, though, and they don’t have plans to make him a two-way player.

“He plays the game with an understanding, a poise, a high IQ, a slow heartbeat that he could probably handle it for a while,” McKenry said.

That doesn’t mean his athleticism is going to waste. That easy motion down the mound, his ability to manipulate the ball, that directly ties into his vigor.

“He’s just a very, very good athlete,” Wilson said. “You take a very good athlete and put him on the mound, they can do things that regular P.O.’s -- or pitchers only -- can’t do.”

The Pirates will still need to sign Sterling and get him to forgo his Texas commitment, but general manager Ben Cherington sounded optimistic Tuesday about the club being able to sign their top picks. If they do, they should be adding a young pitcher who will immediately slot as one of their top prospects.

“He’s one of my favorite players we’ve had at USA over the years,” Wilson said. “Great kid. You can literally ask him to do anything, and he can do it.”