As expected, the ace of the Diamond Heels is officially beginning his professional baseball career.
After being drafted in the third round of the 2026 MLB Draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates, Jason DeCaro has signed on the dotted line, agreeing to his first big league contract.
While some players sign for less than their projected slot value, the Pirates felt it was a necessity to pay DeCaro a little bit more to ensure that they got a deal done with the former Tar Heel.
Jason DeCaro officially signs with the Pittsburgh Pirates
DeCaro's slot value was projected at $1,035,700, but the terms that Jim Callis of MLB.com reported are a bit higher than that.
3rd-rder Jason DeCaro signs w/@Pirates for $1.3 million (slot 80 value = $1,035,700). @DiamondHeels RHP, went 26-7 in three college seasons, super young (20 yrs, 3 mos) for college pick. VG feel for pitching w/four-pitch mix. @MLBDraft pic.twitter.com/lqlNFsmK0n
— Jim Callis (@jimcallisMLB) July 23, 2026
According to Callis, DeCaro is set to receive a $1.3 million signing bonus. Based on how the MLB Draft format works, it's likely that the Pirates discussed numbers with DeCaro's camp as early as during the draft process, making this agreement a rather easy one for both sides.
What's not to love about DeCaro if you're the Pirates organization. How many college pitchers can say they have the same type of experience as DeCaro at such a young age.
Let's remember: he isn't even 21 yet!
When you're looking for pitching talent in the draft, you definitely want someone who has a proven track record with a good amount of experience. How's three years of being a Friday night starter for a program that made two trips to Omaha during that time, including a run to the College World Series Championship series this past season sound to ya?
As good as he was during his freshman and sophomore seasons, DeCaro was even better during his junior year in Chapel Hill. He set a new career high with 11 victories, including a complete-game shutout in what would be his final start at Boshamer Stadium, while posting a 2.87 ERA over 97.2 innings of work.
While we all can agree that DeCaro looks better in the Carolina blue uniforms, we can't deny that the black and gold fits him well also.
OFFICIAL: We have signed our 3rd round pick, Jason DeCaro, a RHP from @DiamondHeels. ✍️ pic.twitter.com/dWgYy72K13
— Young Bucs (@YoungBucsPIT) July 23, 2026
Jason DeCaro put together a stellar college career during his time at North Carolina. While Tar Heel fans hoped there was at least a slim chance he would return for his senior season, we all knew that this was going to be his final go-around in Chapel Hill, as this guy has been pro ready for quite some time now.
Scott Forbes and the Diamond Heels are getting an experienced arm back for 2027
Now, DeCaro starts his professional baseball career in Pittsburgh and hopes to be the next in line of Pirates pitchers who have rose through their farm system and ended up being really good big league starting pitchers once they got there.
As Scott Forbes always says, Jason DeCaro's best days on the mound are still ahead of him, which is crazy to think about given just how good he was during his college career. It just goes to show that the sky is the limit for DeCaro, who hopes to be making an impact in the big leagyes in the near future.
Add us as a preferred source on Google