For former Bethel Park LHP Magdiel Cotto, being picked by Pirates brings career full circle

Magdiel Cotto became a Pittsburgh Pirates fan while living in Bethel Park for seven years and remembers walking across the Roberto Clemente Bridge to go to games and even celebrating his 10th birthday with a party at a Pirates game at PNC Park.

So being selected by the Pirates in the 11th round of the MLB Draft was surreal for Cotto, a pitcher from the University of Kentucky. Those memories returned when he signed for a reported $200,000 bonus last week, then toured the batting cage and clubhouse at PNC Park and saw the ballpark from a different vantage point for the first time.

“I can confirm the view from the dugout is significantly better than the view from the nosebleeds,” said Cotto, who turned 21 on June 24. “It feels like it was just yesterday watching them and comparing yourself to your favorite players. It’s cool to realize that something that you worked for for so long has paid off.

“Regardless of the team, it’s such a blessing.”

Blessed to be given the opportunity to be a part of the @Pirates and wear black and gold again! Thankful for everyone who was a part of this journey!

— Magdiel Cotto (@Cotto_magdiel) July 11, 2023

Magdiel Cotto is a Bucco! pic.twitter.com/QAWIgNeGit

— Young Bucs (@YoungBucsPIT) July 21, 2023

That Cotto was picked by the Pirates brought his career full circle. The 6-foot-4, 250-pound left-hander played his freshman and sophomore seasons at Bethel Park and for the Steel City Wildcats travel team, playing as a 14-year-old against opponents who were 17 and 18.

“He looked like he belonged but he was three years younger, and that’s a big difference,” said Wildcats coach Mark Saghy, a former Mt. Lebanon coach who is now an assistant coach at Upper St. Clair. “He is a sponge. He wanted to learn the game.”

Saghy remembers Cotto as a “phenomenal hitter” who played first base when he wasn’t pitching. So does former Bethel Park and Wildcats teammate Justin Meis, a Pirates 2021 10th-round pick who is a right-handed pitcher for Double-A Altoona. Meis remembers Cotto launching balls during batting practice that cleared the right-field fence at Bethel Park’s Bob Purkey Jr. Memorial Field and sailed over Church Road.

“He was a very big part of our success that year, both on the mound and at the plate,” Meis said. “He was always very, very talented, but I really think during that summer of 2018 he took incredible strides as a pitcher because he would just go out and dominate. Everybody was just like, ‘OK, yeah, this dude is going to be pretty good.’ ”

Saghy connected Cotto with one of his former players at Mt. Lebanon, Chris Koutsavlis, a left-hander who tossed the first no-hitter in PNC Park history during the 2002 WPIAL Class 4A championship game. Koutsavlis now trains pitchers and taught Cotto how to read hitters and to better understand his pitch selection and sequencing.

After committing to South Carolina before his junior season, Cotto’s family moved to Rock Hill, S.C. He completed high school there and was named the state’s Gatorade Player of the Year. After his freshman year at South Carolina, Cotto transferred to Kentucky.

Cotto was 5-1 with a 6.37 ERA and 1.64 WHIP in three college seasons in 59¹⁄₃ innings over 39 appearances, including nine starts, and averaged 10.8 strikeouts and 4.9 walks per nine innings. Although he couldn’t hold a spot in the starting rotation at Kentucky, Cotto shined as a starter in the wooden bat Cape Cod League last summer. He compiled a 3.73 ERA with 31 strikeouts in 31¹⁄₃ innings, was named a Cape Cod All-Star and ranked as the No. 7 pitching prospect in the league by D1 Baseball and the No. 19 prospect by Baseball America. Cotto also showcased his talent in the MLB Draft League, opening eyes with his velocity.

Magdiel Cotto (@Cotto_magdiel) came out pumping 9️⃣6️⃣ in his start for Team Manto in the Draft League’s inaugural Prospect Game.

???? @MLBNetwork | #MLBDraft pic.twitter.com/IfOxQ0FiTu

— MLB Draft League (@mlbdraftleague) July 6, 2023

Magdiel Cotto 2023 LHP.

6’4” 250 lb, FB worked a loud 94-96 with + arm side carry.

Gyro slider flashed impressive depth that plays well off of the loose/explosive arm action. CH flashed solid average shape, but overall inconsistent.

Arsenal needs some refinement and there pic.twitter.com/gVSGUTZ7JX

— jonathan martin II (@jonathan_d_m20) June 7, 2023

Cotto has a four-pitch mix featuring a four-seam fastball that sits at 93-96 mph but has touched 99 as his putaway pitch. He also throws a sinker, slider and changeup that he said is “coming along really well.” He’s not sure whether the Pirates view him as a starter or reliever.

“I’m kind of preparing to go in there and be out of the ’pen and earn my starting role, which I’m OK with,” Cotto said. “I’d love to be a starter. At this point, I’m being realistic that it’s something I have to earn.”

Cotto was one of 14 pitchers picked by the Pirates, who took seven pitchers from the SEC and selected LSU right-hander Paul Skenes first overall. Kentucky lost to LSU in the NCAA Super Regional round, as Skenes tossed 7²⁄₃ shutout innings in a 14-0 win in the first game of the best-of-three series.

“In the SEC, you see talented arms every weekend,” Cotto said. “Obviously, the hitters are fantastic, but the level of pitchers I see in the SEC compared to other conferences is not close. You’re seeing top-five rounders every weekend.”

While calling to congratulate Kentucky right-hander Austin Strickland on being taken in the eighth round by the Pirates, Cotto received a call from Pirates scout Adam Bourassa, checking to see if Cotto would sign if selected the next day.

“I said, ‘Wouldn’t that be cool if we were teammates?’ ” Cotto said. “It was pretty crazy timing.”

Cotto was assigned to the Florida Complex League at Pirate City in Bradenton, where he will be reunited with Strickland and former Allegheny Pirates travel ball teammate Justin Miknis, a DuBois native who was a 16th-round pick as a catcher out of Kent State. He also played at South Carolina with first baseman Josiah Sightler, a Pirates 2022 15th-rounder who is now with High-A Greensboro.

Cotto said his phone has been flooded with text messages from Pittsburgh friends.

One of the first was from Saghy.

“I texted him, ‘You just can’t get away from Pittsburgh!’ ” Saghy said. “I’m thrilled for his success because he worked his tail off, went through the ups and downs and now has a chance to see how he matches up against the best. He had all the faith and kept working. I knew someone was going to give him a shot because of the talent.”