Should Dario Agrazal Get A Shot In The Pittsburgh Pirates Rotation?

With the Pittsburgh Pirates in dire need of starting pitching help, should the team turn to a 24-year-old prospect that is pitching well at the Triple-A level?

It’s no secret that injuries have been a major issue for the Pittsburgh Pirates this season. This is especially true with the starting rotation. Jameson Taillon and Trevor Williams are currently on the injured list. Chris Archer and Jordan Lyles have also spent time on the IL this season as well.

With both Taillon and Williams currently on the IL, the Pirates need a starting pitcher for Wednesday night’s game against the Colorado Rockies. Many fans, myself included, would love to see this start go to top prospect Mitch Keller. However, it is unlikely that it will be Keller.

Keller is currently working on adding a slider, and the team is already looking to manage his workload this season. Due to these two factors, it seems unlikely that Keller will make a start for the Pirates this week.

On Wednesday, the team could always go with a opener. They did this with success against the San Diego Padres this past Saturday. The only issue is that they will need a starting pitcher for Saturday as well, and, since no one else will be available to pitch on normal rest, Saturday looks like the best day to go with an opener again.

With the team in need of a starting pitcher for Wednesday and it unlikely to be Keller, could Dario Agrazal get a shot?

The 24-year-old Agrazal is in his first season at the Triple-A level. In four starts for the Indianapolis Indians he owns a 2.84 ERA and a 2.92 FIP in 25 1/3 innings pitched. He owns a 5.4% walk rate, 24.7% strikeout rate, and he’s allowed just one home run.

Prior to being promoted to Triple-A for the first time, Agrazal started the season with Double-A Altoona. He also made four starts for the Curve, and posted a 3.60 ERA, 3.24 FIP, and a 19.4% strikeout rate in 25 innings pitched. He did not issue a walk with the Curve, and allowed just three home runs.

Featuring a power sinker, Agrazal has long been an intriguing prospect for the Pirates. In 16 starts in 2018, between Double-A and two rehab appearances at High-A, Agrazal pitched 93 2/3 innings owning a 3.65 ERA and a 4.04 FIP. He walked just 3.4% of batters, however, his strikeout rate was just 14.7%. Due to this low strikeout rate, it has been great to see his strikeout rate spike 10% this season.

Agrazal has always been a strike thrower that limited home runs. This season he has started to add more swings and misses to he repertoire. Adding the swing and miss is something Agrazal needed to do before being MLB ready, and he has added it.

The Pittsburgh Pirates need a starting pitcher for Wednesday night. It would be worth a gamble to give the start to Agrazal. If the team is not going to turn to Keller, Agrazal is a much better option than someone like Nick Kingham or Steven Brault.