Pittsburgh Pirates Prime 40 Prospects

Under is an evaluation of the prospects within the farm system of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Scouting studies had been compiled with info offered by trade sources in addition to our personal observations. That is the fourth yr we’re delineating between two anticipated aid roles, the abbreviations for which you’ll see within the “place” column beneath: MIRP for multi-inning aid pitchers, and SIRP for single-inning aid pitchers. The ETAs listed typically correspond to the yr a participant needs to be added to the 40-man roster to keep away from being made eligible for the Rule 5 draft. Handbook changes are made the place they appear acceptable, however we use that as a rule of thumb.

A fast overview of what FV (Future Worth) means may be discovered here. A a lot deeper overview may be discovered here.

The entire ranked prospects beneath additionally seem on The Board, a useful resource the positioning gives that includes sortable scouting info for each group. It has extra particulars (and up to date TrackMan information from numerous sources) than this text and integrates each crew’s checklist so readers can examine prospects throughout farm techniques. It may be discovered here.

Different Prospects of Notice

Grouped by sort and listed so as of choice inside every class.

Tweener Outfielders
Tres Gonzalez, OF
Matt Gorski, OF
Jase Bowen, OF
Charles McAdoo, OF
Enmanuel Terrero, OF
Solomon Maguire, OF

Most of this group is comprised of power-over-hit varieties who we don’t suppose will make sufficient contact to maintain massive league-level offense. Gorski, Bowen, McAdoo and Maguire all fall into this bucket. Even Gonzalez, who didn’t strike out a ton at Georgia Tech, has had elevated strikeout charges in professional ball. In our estimation, he has a greater probability of staying in heart subject than the remainder.

Catchers
Garret Forrester, C
Abrahan Gutierrez, C
Carter Bins, C
Axiel Plaz, C

Forrester was a fixture within the coronary heart of Oregon State’s lineup as a primary baseman, however he’s making an attempt a conversion to catcher in professional ball. That is nonetheless within the very early levels and, as you’ll be able to think about, Forrester may be very tough across the edges as a defender. However he’s probably the most full all-around hitter on this cluster of gamers and simply has the largest ceiling if it seems he can do it. At present on the IL, the 24-year-old Gutierrez was one of many gamers who was declared a free agent within the fallout of the Braves’ John Coppolella bonus packaging scandal. He signed with the Phillies and, after three seasons, was despatched west on I-76 to Pittsburgh for lefty Braeden Ogle. He’s maintained above-average contact efficiency by means of Double-A, however his lack of arm energy is a matter. Bins is an athletic power-over-hit catcher from Fresno State whose strikeout points have develop into excessive as he’s climbed the minors. Plaz is a squat Venezuelan catcher who has reached full-season ball at age 18. He doesn’t have prototypical dimension or massive instruments, however he’s very superior for his age.

Sleeper Arms
Khristian Curtis, RHP
Reinold Navarro, LHP
Antwone Kelly, RHP

Curtis had a botched TJ at Texas A&M after which transferred to Arizona State, the place he confirmed plus velo. The 6-foot-5 righty has been sitting 94-97 fairly persistently in professional ball, albeit with just a few too many walks. We expect he might find yourself being a fairly nasty fastball/cutter reliever if the Pirates shift his position. For now it is smart to see if he can begin, because the earlier A&M and present ASU regimes aren’t excellent at growing pitchers. Navarro is a fairly bodily vert slot lefty within the DSL whose heater has begun to creep into the mid-90s. He has a fairly pure driving fastball/downer curveball combo and is a plus athlete. Kelly is a stocky 20-year-old from Aruba who touches 98. He recurrently mixes in a median cutter and changeup.

Slide Guys
Ryan Harbin, RHP
Carlson Reed, RHP
Drake Fellows, RHP

Harbin is a sinker/slider man who sits 96 mph however actually struggles to throw strikes along with his fastball. Despite the fact that hitters can sit on his slider when he must throw a strike, it’s nonetheless been a dominant pitch. Reed (2023 fourth rounder, West Virginia) and Fellows (a part of the Joe Musgrove deal) even have nice sliders however don’t throw practically as arduous as Harbin.

Low-Degree Center Infielders
Jesus Castillo, SS
Javier Rivas, SS
Roinny Aguiar, SS

Castillo, at the moment on the 60-day IL, is a contact-oriented switch-hitting shortstop who’s repeating Low-A. His ability basis is such that if he ever will get stronger, he might escape. Rivas is a strapping 6-foot-6 infielder with unusual grace for an athlete his dimension, however he nonetheless lacks really feel for his levers and has struggled to make contact. Aguiar is somewhat switch-hitting center infielder on the FCL roster who’s seeking to discover his footing on the complicated after hitting his means out of the DSL in his second season there.

System Overview

The highest portion of the Pirates system is pitching dominant, with the key league beginning rotation already reaping the advantages of the group’s prime two total prospects, Paul Skenes and Jared Jones, and but extra younger pitching on the horizon in Bubba Chandler and others. There are additionally a number of thrilling younger arms on the decrease ranges, like Zander Mueth and David Matoma, who carry vital bullpen threat, however who stand an opportunity to be elite relievers even when they’ll’t develop as starters.

Mockingly, it’s place participant expertise that the Pirates want. Henry Davis hasn’t hit the bottom working, Endy Rodriguez obtained injured at a really inopportune time, and Jack Suwinski has regressed. Oneil Cruz seems to be shaking off the rust, however he hasn’t but absolutely realized his prospect potential. And whereas Rowdy Tellez and Nick Gonzales are displaying indicators of life, the success of each feels tenuous. The Pirates’ professional scouting employees appears to be concentrating on upside once they make trades, as exemplified in Keiner Delgado, Estuar Suero and Jhonny Severino. However these guys, in addition to the toolsy guys the Pirates signed themselves, are nonetheless younger and uncooked, not imminent contributors. Pittsburgh could also be a candidate to make a neutral-postured commerce primarily based on match, the place the crew sends pitching someplace and will get a bat in return.

The highest eight prospects on this system had been all drafted by the Bucs’ newbie scouting division. The worldwide division, in the meantime, has produced most of the beforehand talked about high-risk/high-reward varieties who’re at the moment enjoying on the complexes within the Dominican and Florida.

General, that is a median, top-heavy system with one of the best two guys having main success on the large league roster. The remainder of the farm is grounded in high-variance, high-risk varieties. Loaded with pitching for the foreseeable future, the entrance workplace would possibly must get inventive in pursuit of on a regular basis hitters since they appear unlikely to come back to Pittsburgh through free company.