Scouting report on Pirates 3rd round pick Alex Dickerson

The Pittsburgh Pirates focus in the second and third rounds has been on replenishing the system with impact bats.

The Pirates made a bold move with the selection of top high school bat Josh Bell and in the third round got great value with the selection of Indiana outfielder/1st baseman Alex Dickerson, the 2010 Big Ten Triple Crown winner.

Dickerson (6-3, 225lbs), a left handed bat, hit .367 with 9 home runs and 49 RBI’s in 2011.

He played a lot of outfield at Indiana but projects to be a 1st baseman at the MLB level and could also possibly play left field in the majors.

Dickerson was the No. 37 rated prospect in the draft, according to ESPN’s Keith Law.

Scouts project Dickerson as an everyday player and that he’ll hit for power at the Major League Level. Few project him as a future star but he has a lot of upside as an impact hitter.

The 2010 Big Ten Triple Crown winner (.419 avg., 24 HR, 75 RBI) and First Team All-American ranks among Indiana’s best hitters of all-time in school history.

• 47 homeruns (tied for first all-time)

• .657 slugging percentage (fourth)

• 266 hits (fifth)

• .386 batting average (fifth)

• 181 runs batted in (sixth)

Notes: The Pirates select high school pitcher Colten Brewer (Canton, HS) in the 4th round and went the high school route again in the 5th round, selecting Tyler Glasnow who at 6-foot-7 went 8-2 with a 1.25 ERA and 99 strikeouts in 67 innings.