When the Pittsburgh Pirates made a run on college pitchers by selecting seven consecutive on the second day of the MLB Draft, it was influenced by their scouting and the success of a 2022 pick.

Call it the J.P. Massey Effect.

The Pirates took Massey out of Minnesota in the seventh round last year despite a 2-8 record and 6.52 ERA because they liked the right-hander’s traits. That Massey pitched in the All-Star Futures Game on Saturday is a sign he is starting to scratch the surface of his potential.

The Pirates chose right-handers Carlson Reed of West Virginia and Patrick Reilly of Vanderbilt in the fourth and fifth rounds, respectively, followed by lefties Hunter Furtado of Alabama and Jaden Woods of Georgia in the sixth and seventh. They added three more righties in Austin Strickland of Kentucky, Danny Carrion of UC-Davis and Landon Tomkins of Louisiana Tech.

“I think J.P. Massey is a really good example of — whether it’s in high school or in college — just about all of these players are far from finished products,” Pirates assistant general manager Steve Sanders said on a video conference call. “It highlights the importance of looking beneath the surface of results. We’re looking for traits. …

“All of these guys that we took today and yesterday are different. But, certainly, we hope for the same strides forward. I think he’s a good example of somebody who probably can’t be judged by the ERA and strikeout and walk rate in his junior year. We certainly hope to see similar success stories out of this group.”

Sanders and amateur scouting director Joe DelliCarri downplayed the significance of the Pirates selecting SEC pitchers in Rounds 5-8, although they didn’t deny the depth of pitching talent to come out of the conference that also produced their choice for the MLB Draft’s No. 1 overall pick, LSU right-hander Paul Skenes.

After adding Michigan State shortstop Mitch Jebb in the second round and Belleville (Ill.) East right-handed pitcher Zander Mueth with their Competitive Balance Round B pick Sunday night, the Pirates started Monday by taking Oregon State first baseman Garret Forrester in the third round.

The 6-foot-1, 208-pound Forrester batted .341/.485/.522 with 12 doubles, 10 home runs and 52 RBIs in 61 games for the Beavers this past season. A three-year starter who twice was named All-Pac 12 first team, Forrester was tournament MVP as a sophomore. He finished his career with a .326/.470/.500 slash line, 26 homers and 144 RBIs in 177 games, drawing more walks (156) than strikeouts (138), and was ranked the No. 116 prospect by MLB Pipeline.

“He does have very, very good swing decisions,” DelliCarri said. “Coming into professional baseball, he’s been around it a long time and how he sees, he sees well. He’s a high-contact hitter that does hit the ball hard. So there’s a lot here.”

Reed has been both a starter and a closer in his college career, and the 6-4, 200-pounder was a first-team All-Big 12 selection at closer as a junior, when he was 2-1 with a 2.61 ERA, 1.53 WHIP and seven saves in 38 innings over 25 appearances as he averaged 14.2 strikeouts and 5.9 walks per nine innings this past season.

Reilly made 14 career starts at Vanderbilt but pitched mostly out of the bullpen, averaging 11.7 strikeouts and 5.8 walks per nine innings in his career. Reilly was 5-4 with a 5.77 ERA and 1.53 WHIP with 60 strikeouts and 30 walks in 48 1/3 innings over 16 appearances, including four starts, this past season.

Furtado, who throws a 98 mph fastball, a low-80s slider and a changeup, was 1-1 with a 4.75 ERA and 1.33 WHIP in 36 innings over 17 appearances, including two starts, and averaged 9.5 strikeouts and 4.3 walks per nine innings.

Woods was a reliever in his first two seasons before starting 10 games as a junior, going 3-3 with a 5.77 ERA and 1.37 WHIP and averaging 11.5 strikeouts and 4.7 walks per nine innings. Woods has a pitch mix that features a mid-90s fastball, a slurve and a changeup.

Strickland was 4-2 with a 5.04 ERA and 1.23 WHIP in 55 1/3 innings over 20 appearances as a junior at Kentucky. Carrion was 3-7 with a 5.61 ERA and 1.64 WHIP in 41 career appearances but posted a 3.72 ERA and 1.03 WHIP with one save, 16 strikeouts and six walks in six games as a junior.

Tomkins was 13-4 with a 3.92 ERA and 1.41 WHIP in 133 1/3 innings over 74 career games, going 6-2 with a 3.52 ERA and 1.32 WHIP with 75 strikeouts and 34 walks in 76 2/3 innings over 30 appearances, including six starts.

DelliCarri emphasized the combination of aptitude and alignment for pitching prospects based on their athleticism and even how they handle adversity against lineups filled with pro prospects.

“It’s the combination of stuff and quality strikes,” DelliCarri said. “You want both of those. …

“Clearly, you saw several times that we take some strike-throwers, then there are some times we take guys to this point in time may not have thrown as many (strikes) as some others. … When some of that aligns, we’re willing to take some selections that may not throw as many strikes today as they may look very different tomorrow.”

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