Pittsburgh Pirates Minors: Top 30 Prospect Stat Update 4/26

The Pittsburgh Pirates minor league affiliates are all off to solid starts through the early going.  Here’s how their Top 30 prospects are doing.

Before the Pittsburgh Pirates minor league season started, we released our site’s Top 30 prospect list.  This list was made up by looking at prospect’s 2018 performances, their career performances, and their future expectations as players.  While the farm system is not as heralded as it once was, it is on the upswing once again.

So far the Pittsburgh Pirates minor league affiliates are off to a good start.  The team’s Triple-A affiliate, the Indianapolis Indians, are off to a 10-9 start.  The Double-A Altoona Curve have the opposite record and have the only losing season in the minors at 9-10.  The Pittsburgh Pirates Single-A affiliate, The Bradenton Marauders, are off to a strong start at 13-8.  The newest affiliate is the Low-A Single-A Greensboro GrassHoppers, and like Bradenton they are off to a good start as well sitting at 12-8.

Here are how the Pittsburgh Pirates top prospects are doing so far this season:

1. Mitch Keller, Right-Handed Pitcher (AAA SP): 4 starts, 14 IP, 1-0, 2.70 ERA, 22/13 K/BB

2. Ke’Bryan Hayes, Third Baseman (AAA): .247/.353/.384, 1 Home Run, 7 Doubles

3. Travis Swaggerty, Outfielder (High-A): .224/.284/.343, 2 Home Run, 2 Stolen Bases

4. Oneil Cruz, Shortstop (High-A): .265/.324/.382, 1 Home Run, 4 Stolen Bases

5. Cole Tucker, Shortstop (MLB): .286/.318/.571, 1 Home Run, 3 Doubles

6. Calvin Mitchell, Outfielder (High-A): .269/.293/.462, 3 Home Runs, 8 RBI

7. Kevin Kramer, Second Baseman (AAA): .158/.238/.263, 4 Doubles

8. Bryan Reynolds, Outfielder (MLB): .500/.500/.667, 2 Doubles

9. Kevin Newman, Shortstop (MLB): .273/.333/.364, Currently on Injured List: Rehabbing

10. Luis Escobar, Right-Handed Pitcher (High-A RP): 7 Games, 8.1 IP, 0.00 ERA, 12/4 K/BB

11. Tahnaj Thomas, Right-Handed Starting Pitcher: Has Not Pitched

12. Jason Martin, Outfielder (MLB): .229/.289/.286, 2 Doubles, 2 Stolen Bases

13. Pablo Reyes, Infielder and Outfielder (MLB): .103/.188/.103, 2 RBI

14. Travis MacGregor, Right-Handed Pitcher: Out for Season with Tommy-John Surgery

15. Cody Bolton, Right-Handed Pitcher (Low-A SP): 4 starts, 22 IP, 0.82 ERA, 23/6 K/BB

16. Braxton Ashcraft, Right-Handed Starting Pitcher: Has Not Pitched

17. Lolo Sanchez, Outfielder (Low-A): .329/.385/.543, 1 Home run, 4 Doubles, and 4 Triples

18. Nick Burdi, Right-Handed Pitcher (MLB RP): Currently on Injured List

19. Jared Oliva, Outfielder (AA): .250/.344/.402, 2 Doubles, 3 Stolen Bases

20. Steven Jennings, Right-Handed Pitcher (Low-A SP): 4 GS, 18.2 IP, 1-2, 6.75 ERA 17/7 K/BB

21. Will Craig, First Baseman (AAA): .209/.329/.507, 6 Home Runs, 14 RBI

22. Ji-Hwan Bae, Shortstop (Low-A) Currently Suspended for 30 Games: .190/.292/.286

23. Max Kranick, Right-Handed Pitcher (High-A SP): 4 GS, 16.2 IP, 0-2, 3.24 ERA, 15/6 K/BB

24. JT Brubaker, Right-Handed Pitcher (AAA SP): 4 GS, 21 IP, 2-1, 2.57 ERA, 20/4 K/BB

25. Stephen Alemais, Shortstop and Second Baseman (AA): .267/.283/.267, 2 RBI

26. Rookie Davis, Right-Handed Pitcher (AAA SP): 3 GS, 14 IP, 0-1, 4.50 ERA, 12/8 K/BB

27. Santiago Florez, Right-Handed Pitcher: Has Not Pitched

28. Geoff Hartlieb, Right-Handed (AAA RP): 6 games, 9.1 IP, 1-0, 0.96 ERA, 10/8 K/BB

29. Juan Pie, Outfielder: Has Not Played

30. Deon Stafford, Catcher (Low-A):  Has Not Played

The stand out prospects for this week are outfielder Lolo Sanchez and Luis Escobar.  Sanchez was aggressively rated as one of the Pittsburgh Pirates top 10 prospects by many sites last season.  He had a tough year but was relatively young for Low-A.  The Bucs decided to have Sanchez start at Low-A again this season and it looks like it is paying off.  Escobar meanwhile reached Double-A last season.  However, as many projected to happen eventually, the Columbian native is now pitching out of the bullpen.  The team sent him to High-A to help with the transition.  So far he has been lights out.