Pirates Grossman, Cole Set for Prime Time AFL Rising Stars Game

Some future Pittsburgh Pirates will be on the MLB Network tonight. Robbie Grossman and Gerrit Cole will both be playing in the Rising Stars game.
Coverage will be provided through MLB.com and the MLB Network.

Cole will be the starter for the East Rising Stars squad. Grossman, Bryce Harper and the rest of a powerful Arizona Fall League lineup will face the Mariners number two pick Danny Hultzen who starts for the West Rising Stars.

Grossman got warmed up by ripping his seventh bomb of the season in a 12-10 Mesa Solar Sox slugfest victory yesterday.  Grossman is one behind Rangers third base prospect Mike Olt who will be on the West squad tonight that will attempt to catch up to Cole’s hyped fastball.

Grossman also earned his AFL leading 20th walk last night and stole a base .

Heading into the game, Grossman is now fifth in hitting with a .370 average, he is tied for the lead in hits with 37 and total bases with 63. His sick OPS of 1.101 is good for fifth and he also leads the league in games played and at-bats.

Cole has 12 strikeouts in 12 innings pitched to go along with a nifty ERA of 3.00. Cole has allowed three walks in his twelve innings pitched. The biggest improvement we have heard on Cole is the fastball is no longer flat like it was at UCLA.  The naysayers who looked at his poor senior season and questioned the pick seem to have been sleeping at Occupy Pittsburgh because we’ve heard nothing since Cole began in the AFL.

Comparisions to some great pitchers along with glowing reports from Pirates beat writers on both Cole and Grossman make tonights game a can’t miss for Bucco fans.