The MLB Draft League announced that the Pittsburgh Pirates have purchased the contract of OF Owen Prince from the Williamsport Crosscutters. He is the fifth Draft League professional player to have their contract purchased by a Major League club this season and 19th since the league implemented a professional, second-half format in 2022.

Prince, 22, played in 37 games across the 2026 season, 15 in the first half and 22 in the second. In total, he hit .282 with an on-base percentage of .464 and an OPS of .801.

In the second half, Prince ranked second in the league with 24 walks and 17 stolen bases. With 22 hits added in, the outfielder carried an on-base percentage of .475, good for fourth in the professional portion of the season. In eight games, he tallied two or more hits with the most being three on June 18 against the Mahoning Valley Scrappers at home. He also drove in a run, scored a run and stole a base.

Prince joins Carson Estridge (West Virginia), Drew Wyers (Trenton) Finnegan Wall (Aberdeen) and Cam Padgett (West Virginia) as the fifth player from this season to have his contract purchased, the third position player all-time and the first to have his contract purchased by the Pittsburgh Pirates.

From Roanoke, Va., Prince is a Virginia Military Institute graduate who appeared in 184 games for the Keydets. He ended his four seasons as the program’s all-time leader with 103 stolen bases, ranked second with an on-base percentage of .457 and had the fourth-most runs (173) and walks (132).

Prince’s purchased contract comes after a historic 2026 MLB Draft within the Draft League with 58 players selected. Additionally, the league tied the 2024 and 2025 seasons with 36 draft picks who played in the same summer as their selection. In the league’s sixth season, the MLB Draft League has produced 291 MLB Draft Picks and more than 200 players have signed as undrafted free agents.

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