Pittsburgh Pirates Top 30 Prospects 2019 Season Rewind: Blake Cederlind

Next up on the Pittsburgh Pirates top 30 prospects 2019 season rewinds is reliever Blake Cederlind

When the 2019 season began, right-handed relief pitching prospect Blake Cederlind was in Bradenton, Florida. In Bradenton, he found himself pitching for the Pittsburgh Pirates High-A affiliate the Bradenton Marauders.

After posting a 1.17 ERA and striking out eight batters in 7 1/3 innings pitched at High-A, Cederlind was promoted to Double-A Altoona. With the Curve, Cederlind pitched some of the best baseball of his now four-year professional career. In 45 2/3 innings of work with the Curve, Cederlind owned a 1.77 ERA and a 3.06 FIP. He allowed just one home run while walking 8.7% of batters faced and striking out 22.7%.

His success in Altoona led to Cederlind earning a late season promotion to the Triple-A level for the first time in his career. As a member of the Indianapolis Indians, Cederlind produced mixed results.

Cederlind pitched in just three games for the Indians, logging 6 innings of work. In these 6 innings of work he walked just two batters, which was great to see due to control always being an issue for him, and struck out five. However, he owned a 7.50 ERA.

In each of his outings at the Triple-A level Cederlind allowed at least 1 run. He gave up 3 runs in his Triple-A debut, a debut in which he pitched a scoreless inning of work before recording just two outs in his second inning of work while allowing 3 runs. He then allowed 1 run in each of his next two outings.

Despite the minor league season having ended, the 2019 season is not over for Cederlind. He is currently pitching for the Peoria Javelinas and he has appeared in two games thus far. In those two games Cederlind has allowed just one hit, but it was a solo home run. He has walked five batters and struck out two.

The 23-year-old Cederlind was drafted by the Pirates in the 5th round of the 2016 MLB Draft after he spent two years at Merced Junior College in California. Cederlind possesses a power fastball that can top 100 MPH. He also has a pair of off speed pitches he continues to work on.

Hopefully, Cederlind can finish strong in the AFL and use it as a springboard into 2020. With Cederlind slated to start the 2020 season at the Triple-A level, he will be on the doorstep of the MLB level. There is a good chance that Cederlind will make his MLB debut at some point in the 2020 season.