Pittsburgh Pirates Boast Strong Farm System According to FanGraphs

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#78 – Pitcher Tahnaj Thomas

Signed from the Bahamas and acquired from the Cleveland Indians via trade, Tahnaj Thomas is the 78th best prospect on FanGraphs BOARD. Thomas is an extremely interesting prospect that is most similar to the previously discussed Oneil Cruz (in regards to prospect ceiling). Thomas has a fastball that touches 100 MPH on the radar and is already developing multiple off-speed pitches including a curveball and a changeup. For a 20 year old player who has only played rookie ball – this is no small feat.

In 2019, Thomas started 12 games and posted a 3.17 ERA with decent command and an awesome 11.0 strikeouts per nine innings. These are truly impressive numbers for a young guy who is a starting pitcher, is learning on the go, and can throw 100+. Normally, those three things combine to equal a lot of walks and no control.

FanGraphs is most excited about Thomas’ ceiling as a prospect. This is mostly due to his obvious athleticism and large build at 6’4″ that may allow for Thomas to continue to improve his command and remain a starter. It will be extremely interesting to see how Thomas does this season, as it is completely imaginable to see him drop off of this list or sky-rocket up this list with relative ease.