Pittsburgh Pirates: Five Under-the-Radar Prospects off to a Hot Start

Pitcher Jeffrey Passantino

The Pittsburgh Pirates selected Jeffrey Passantino in the Triple-A phase of the Rule 5 Draft. The right-hander was the very last pick in the 2016 amateur draft but has done well every year of his professional career so far. 2021 has been no different.

Through 23.1 innings at Double-A Altoona, Passantino has an outstanding 2.70 ERA, 2.20 FIP and 0.94 WHIP. He’s only let opposing hitters reach base via free pass 6.5% of the time. Meanwhile, he’s punched out 29.3%. His 4.5 K/BB ratio is currently the 13th highest among the 56 Pirates’ minor league pitchers with at least 10 innings tossed.

Passantino doesn’t get many ground balls. He only has a 24.6% GB% this year and only has a 4.11 xFIP. But he’s yet to give up a home run. The 5’10″, 225-pound pitcher isn’t a hard thrower. His cut fastball only averages around the upper-80’s and tops out around the low-90’s. His arsenal also includes a slider and curveball.

Passantino gets outs using his almost laser-like command. He rarely misses his spots. Just by watching some of his highlights from 2019, you’ll see the impressive and consistent command he has. He borders on 80-grade command.

Although Passantino has the mold of a pitcher from decades ago, he’s been effective, can pitch both out of the bullpen and the rotation, and has exceptional command. He is 25-years-old, so he’s a bit old for a Double-A pitcher, but the Pittsburgh Pirates should promote him to the Major Leagues before the end of the season to at least see what they have in him.