The Pittsburgh Pirates got some brutal news late Wednesday night.
Their second-round draft choice won’t be joining the organization.
Instead, Angel Cervantes announced he’ll be honoring his college baseball commitment to UCLA.
WOW. In a shocking news, Pittsburgh Pirates 2nd rounder Angel Cervantes announces he’s heading to UCLA.
Cervantes was one of the better prep RHPs in the 2025 MLB Draft and was selected 50th overall.
🎥: @TylerJennings24
pic.twitter.com/BtWJi2n7c6— On The Clock | College Baseball and MLB Draft (@OnTheClock_1) July 24, 2025
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This outcome is a risk all teams take when they draft high schoolers.
More often than not, though, they know that a player is likely to sign before being drafted.
So in this case, either Cervantes simply changed his mind, or the Pirates knew at the time of selection that he might not sign.
The good news for the Pirates is because Cervantes is a second-round non-sign, they’ll get a compensation pick in the same spot next year.
Still, though, it’s one less talented prospect in their system that they can start developing now. It’s definitely not an ideal outcome.
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