New York ? Major league scouting directors seem to agree on one thing about this year’s draft class: It’s not very deep and college talent is tough to come by.

“I think everybody is still searching for who they want to take early,” Baltimore scouting director Tony DeMacio said of today’s draft. “There’s no one that’s really separated themselves and said, ‘I’m the guy.”‘

Pittsburgh, which has the first pick, was trying to choose between Ball State right-hander Bryan Bullington, high school shortstop B.J. Upton and Canadian left-hander Adam Loewen.

The Pirates have the No. 1 pick for the third time in draft history they selected Jeff King in 1986 and Kris Benson in 1996. In a draft short on top talent, all eyes will be fixed on what Pittsburgh does.

“It makes it more exciting to have it,” Pirates scouting director Ed Creech said. “What we do has a domino effect on the rest of the draft.”

Bullington is the Mid-American Conference career strikeout leader with 370. The 6-foot-5, 210-pound junior has a fastball that hits 92-to-94 mph, and was 11-3 with a 2.84 ERA and 139 strikeouts in 10423 innings.

Upton, from Greenbrier Christian Academy in Virginia, hit .614 with 10 home runs, 47 RBIs and 21 stolen bases in 70 at-bats.

Loewen will probably be the highest-drafted Canadian ever. The 6-foot-6, 220-pounder had a dominant season with his club team in Vancouver, and has scouts excited by his size, 92-to-94 mph fastball, nasty curveball and smooth mechanics.

Jeff Francis, a left-hander from the University of British Columbia with a fastball that hits 93 mph, could join Loewen as a top 10 pick.

Others projected to be high picks include: left-hander Scott Kazmir of Cypress Falls High School in Houston, outfielder Jeremy Hermida of Wheeler High School in Georgia, Rutgers right-hander Bobby Brownlie, Virginia Tech lefty Joe Saunders, righty Zack Greinke of Apopka High in Florida, and Florida high school first baseman Prince Fielder, the son of former major league slugger Cecil Fielder.

“There’s players that each and every organization wants to get, would love to have, love to sign and have high hopes for, but as a group this year’s crop is a lesser quality and lesser quantity crop,” Minnesota scouting director Mike Radcliff said.

“We just haven’t allowed very many high school players with baseball talent to go to college in the last few years. We end up signing so many of them before they go to college that there’s just not that much talent available at the college ranks.”