Pittsburgh Pirates: Four Breakout Prospects For 2021

Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /
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Pittsburgh Pirates
PITTSBURGH, PA – AUGUST 23: A general view of the field during the game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Milwaukee Brewers at PNC Park on August 23, 2020 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** /

Starting Pitcher Brennan Malone

I’ve been very high on right-handed starting pitching prospect Brennan Malone ever since the Pittsburgh Pirates acquired him. He was part of the Starling Marte deal during the 2019-2020 off season and despite not being the headliner of the deal, he has a very high ceiling.

The Arizona Diamondbacks selected Malone with the 33rd overall pick in the 2019 MLB Draft. However, despite being selected outside the top 30 picks, he had top 25 pick potential. MLB Pipeline ranked him as the 20th best player available and FanGraphs had him as the top 23rd draft prospect.

Malone has a strong four pitch mix. Malone has a big fastball for a high school prospect. Malone averages out in the 92-96 MPH range, but has been able to touch 99 MPH. It’s already a 55-grade offering, but has the outlook of a 60-65 grade pitch. He also uses two breaking balls. Both his slider and curveball have a 55-future grade on FanGraphs. Then there’s his change up. Despite being his fourth pitch, it still has a 50-future grade on FanGraphs and Pipeline.

Malone does have some professional experience under his belt, but only tossed 8.0 innings with the D-Backs’ Rookie-Ball and Low-A team. He’ll be just 20-years-old for most of this upcoming season, so he’ll likely get reps at Rookie-Ball and if he can pitch up to his ability, could end the year at A-Ball. He definitely has the potential to be a fast riser and top 100 prospect before the end of the season.