On the clock....with Billy Cook

The Pittsburgh Pirates obtained outfielder Billy Cook from the Baltimore Orioles for prospect pitcher Patrick Reilly during this past season’s trade deadline. It was a trade that went under the radar, but for people who follow MLB prospects, this was a trade that made sense for both organizations. 

The Baltimore Orioles had several of major league baseball’s top position prospects and were lacking depth at pitching, while the Pirates were loaded with arms and struggling with bats, especially in the outfield. 

Cook was a 10th round pick out of Pepperdine University by the Baltimore Orioles in the 2021 MLB draft. He has hit at each level for the Orioles, including hitting 24 home runs in AA during the 2023 season. Although very talented, Cook was behind other top notch prospects, like Colton Cowser and Heston Kjerstad. 

After being acquired by the Pirates, Cook went to AAA-Indianapolis and hit .276 with five homers, and hit .276 before being called up to Pittsburgh to make his MLB debut. 

Cook played 16 games for Pittsburgh in 2024 and showed his versatility by playing first base and all three outfield positions. There were times when Cook looked overmatched (19 strikeouts in 49 at bats), but he was still able to hit three home runs, while hitting .225. 

What was most impressive about Cook was his arm and defense in the outfield, throwing out two runners and showing the athleticism in playing all three positions. The 25-year-old Cook will definitely be a player to watch next season in spring training. 

Draft Nation was able to sit down with Billy Cook and asked him about his draft story:

Draft Nation- Did you play high school baseball as a freshman?

Billy Cook- “Yeah, I was like up in the air between JV and varsity and eventually they were like, you need to be on varsity, I started at third base my freshman and sophomore years.”

Draft Nation- Have you always been a player that can play anywhere on the field?

Billy Cook- “ Yeah kind of, so at high school I started at third and moved to short. In college I was an infielder and moved all around there, but once I moved to the outfield, I was like this is where I need to be, I love the outfield.”

Draft Nation- So in high school when did the offers start coming in?

Billy Cook- “Funny enough, I would call a lot of the teams I was interested in, and proactively reach out to the coaches, and guess what…I didn’t call Pepperdine. Pepperdine was my first offer and I decided to sign right away, because of the weather, the history of the school, and I didn’t want to wait.”

Draft Nation- Any major league buzz coming out of high school?

Billy Cook- “No, not coming from Colorado.”

Draft Nation- What was the transition like once you got to Pepperdine?

Billy Cook- “I would say a little more difficult for me, especially coming from a cold weather state (Colorado) to playing with and against guys from warm weather areas like California and Texas who were used to playing a lot more games.”

Draft Nation- How was your performance in your freshman year?

Billy Cook- “I split time in my freshman year, I hit .248 and went to summer ball and had a really good summer (.300 average in 257 at bats).”

Draft Nation- When you were in college, when did you get that feeling that you could become a professional player?

Billy Cook- “Yeah there were a few. So, sophomore year I got hurt but I still met with a few scouts, and they were like hey we really like what you did this half season. That is when I was like if the scouts want to talk to me, that is a good sign for next year, and I told myself I think I have what it takes, just gotta keep getting better each year.”

Draft Nation- During your senior year did you have an idea you were going to get drafted?

Billy Cook- “Yeah I had an idea, I started off kinda slow, part of that was because I thought if I had a great year, and I put extra pressure on myself. My coach sat me down and told me hey listen you don’t need to do anything else, just play your game and it will take care of itself.”

Draft Nation- Draft day…were you with your family?

Billy Cook- “Yeah we just had the tv on, agent over here waiting, and all of a sudden I heard the Cook name on the TV and then got a phone call right after.”

Draft Nation- Were you and your family emotional?

Billy Cook- “Yeah, yeah it was special for sure.”

Draft Nation-  What was the transition like from college baseball to professional ball?

Billy Cook- “The lifestyle was the biggest leap. In college you have school, practice, weights and hanging out, then you go play. In pro ball you play ball six days straight and get one day off.”

Draft Nation- Were you excited when you heard you got traded to Pittsburgh?

Billy Cook- “Yeah, I mean I knew I was going to miss some of the guys I came up with, but I knew this could be a huge opportunity for me and my career.”