Pittsburgh Pirates Top 30 Prospects: Ranking from 30-25

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As the season approaches, it is time to look at the Pittsburgh Pirates top 30 prospects.  First up will be numbers 30-25 in terms of prospect rankings. All six are currently in the minor leagues.

As many Pittsburgh Pirates fans know, Neal Huntington and company have always focused on having a strong farm system.  The team struggled in terms of drafting before Neal Huntington arrived, and even struggled under him in his first few years.  However, since about 2010, Neal Huntington and staff have seemed to have started finding and developing more players.

Meanwhile, Rene Gayo and his staff continue to feed the pipeline with international talent.  Gayo, who is known as one of the best international scouts in baseball, thrives on finding lesser known prospects who develop into legitimate top 30 prospects. Pittsburgh Pirates players like Gregory Polanco and Alen Hanson signed for minimal bonuses compared to other prospects who end up never making it to the MLB.  Polanco received a bonus of $150,000 while Hanson signed for even less at $90,000.  Meanwhile, Polanco is now primed to be an all-star outfielder as soon as this season, while Hanson found himself making his major league debut in 2016.  All in all, the Pittsburgh Pirates have done a good job of finding talent from both the International Market and the Amateur Draft.

Say what you want about the prospects who have missed, but the fact remains Neal Huntington and staff have put together a minor league system that is routinely ranked in baseball’s top ten every season.  The trend of talent continues this season, even with the Pittsburgh Pirates having graduating some of their best prospects like Jameson Taillon and soon to be Tyler Glasnow and Josh Bell.  However, the Pirates still have plenty of younger prospects with plenty of upside, ready to fill the shoes on the former ones.  Here are Rum Bunter’s prospect ratings 30-26: