Pittsburgh Pirates: Ranking Neal Huntington’s First-Round Picks Part Two

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Number 7 – Pitcher Quinn Priester

Entering the 2019 MLB Draft, righty Quinn Priester was viewed by many as the best prep pitcher in the draft. When the Pittsburgh Pirates made their selection with the 18th overall pick Priester was still on the board, and Huntington pounced.

Priester was selected out of Cary-Grove High School in Cary, Illinois, and he has quickly risen to being one of the Pirates’ top pitching prospects. He has also become a top 100 prospect in baseball. There may not be a player on this list with more room to grow moving forward than Priester.

After being drafted last summer, Priester pitched in nine games for the GCL Pirates with eight of them being starts. In these nine outings he logged 36.2 innings of work, allowing 32 hits, a home run, he walked 14 batters, and struck out 41. He posted a 3.19 ERA in his 36.2 innings of work.

Priester is a prospect that will be hurt by a lack of a minor league season in 2020. More than anything, the 19-year-old just needs innings and reps right now. Two things we will not get without a minor league system. Regardless, Priester appears to have all of the tools needed to be the ace of the Pittsburgh Pirates starting rotation one day.