Pittsburgh Pirates: Examining Potential 2023 Bullpen Arms

PITTSBURGH, PA - AUGUST 08: Nick Mears #70 of the Pittsburgh Pirates makes his major league debut in the sixth inning during the game against the Detroit Tigers at PNC Park on August 8, 2020 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH, PA - AUGUST 08: Nick Mears #70 of the Pittsburgh Pirates makes his major league debut in the sixth inning during the game against the Detroit Tigers at PNC Park on August 8, 2020 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images)
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Pittsburgh Pirates
PITTSBURGH, PA – JULY 27: A general view of the Opening Day game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Milwaukee Brewers at PNC Park on July 27, 2020 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The 2020 season had been postponed since March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)

Jack Hartman

2023 Opening Day Age: 24

The Pirates selected Jack Hartman with their 4th round pick in the most recent draft. An Appalachian State product, Hartman has some serious strikeout stuff. Through his 33.2 innings at the NCAA level, Hartman has struck out 48 of the 163 batters he faced. He also did a great job keeping the ball in the yard, allowing just two home runs. But the biggest issue Hartman has ran into is limiting walks. Hartman walked 26 batters, all coming to a 7.0 BB/9 and 15.9% walk rate.

Hartman has two pitches that are both seen as plus pitches. Hartman has some velocity on his fastball. Not only that, but he can also put some spin on the pitch as well. His slider has also been given good reviews. Though he’s still an extremely raw talent, Hartman definitely has the talent to become a reliable bullpen arm for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The future of the bullpen appears to be very bright for the Pittsburgh Pirates. The pitchers covered in this article are just some of the examples of why. When the team is ready to compete again in a few years, they should have a strong bullpen.

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