Pittsburgh Pirates select Notre Dame third baseman Jack Brannigan in third round of MLB Draft
Jack Brannigan is likely three-and-done at Notre Dame. The third baseman/right-handed pitcher was taken by the Pittsburgh Pirates with the No. 83 overall pick in the third round of the MLB Draft on Monday afternoon. He was the first player from the 2022 Notre Dame roster to be picked.
Brannigan started 56 games at third base for Notre Dame in 2022. He also made 11 appearances as a pitcher, including one start. He hit .291 with 46 RBI, which ranked second among all Irish hitters. He hit 12 home runs, which also ranked second among Notre Dame batters. On the mound, Brannigan had a 7.56 ERA across 14 2/3 innings. He struck out 28 batters and only walked eight.
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Brannigan knocked in the game-winning run in Game 3 of the Knoxville Super Regional against No. 1 Tennessee with a late-inning solo home run. He had four errors and a .974 fielding percentage, but Brannigan’s upside as a fielder at third is off the charts. He can make more plays at the hot corner than the average third baseman.
Still, even with a high ERA in 2022, Brannigan might profile as more of a pitcher as a professional. He’s a hard thrower who could be a big piece of a big-league bullpen if he learns to settle into outings. Former Notre Dame coach Link Jarrett wanted to get Brannigan involved more as a pitcher in the last two seasons, but he was never able to yank him from third considering how valuable he was there.
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The slot value of the No. 83 overall pick is $770,300. Brannigan could elect to go back to Notre Dame to further increase his draft stock for next year. Technically, he still has two years of eligibility remaining. But with how early Brannigan went in the third round, there’s likely a slim chance he’ll ever play again in a Notre Dame uniform — even with the dawn of a new era occurring with the hiring of Shawn Stiffler to replace Jarrett.
If Brannigan takes the money and begins his pro career — and according to a tweet from Brannigan himself, it appears he will — Stiffler and his Notre Dame staff will have a tough time replacing him. Jarrett often lauded Brannigan for doing things at third others just simply could not. Enough things to get picked in the first three picks of the second day of the MLB Draft.
