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Former BP pitcher signs with Pirates

By Eleanor Bailey almanac Sports Editor ebailey@thealmanac.Net 2 min read
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Magdiel Cotto

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Magdiel Cotto had a 5-1 career record at Kentucky. He struck out 81 in just 59.1 innings of work

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Magdiel Cotto recently signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Magdiel Cotto signed a MLB contract on July 21 with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The 6-4, 250-pound left-handed pitcher was selected by the Pirates on the final day of the amateur draft. In the 11th round, he was the 317th player overall picked.

Cotto pitched briefly at Bethel Park High School. He was a sophomore in 2018 and played alongside Justin Meis, who is currently in the Pirates organization, excelling for the Altoona Curve, and Eric Chalus, a standout pitcher at Kent State.

A North Carolina native, he committed to the University of South Carolina and moved before the Hawks’ 2019 campaign. Cotto did not last long with the Gamecocks as he transferred to Kentucky.

In between posting a 3-1 record with a 9.9 strikeouts per nine inning average with the Wildcats, Cotto enjoyed two impressive summers that earned him MLB attention. He had a 5-1 record at Kentucky with 81 total strikeouts in 59.1 frames, including 26 in just 18 innings this spring.

In 2021, he held opponents to a .176 batting average over three starts in the Lexington Blowfish of the Coastal Plain League. In 2022, he had seven starts for Hyannis in the Cape Cod League. During a 31.3-inning stint, he maintained a 3.73 earned run average and struck out 31. He started the league’s all-star game on the mound and finished with a regular season ERA of 2.66.

“Hopefully, Magdiel can replicate the success he had on the Cape against wood bat hitters in his professional career,” said his former BP manager Tony Fisher. “Here at Bethel Park, we are very proud of Magdiel and very happy for him and his family.”

The son of Magdiel and Lisa Cotto has two younger siblings, Malachi and Leilani. He majored in Integrated Strategic Communications at Kentucky.

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