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

ByNoah Wright|
Mar 1, 2019; Dunedin, FL, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman Rodolfo Castro (90) throws to first base to retire Toronto Blue Jays catcher Luke Maile (not pictured) during the sixth inning at Dunedin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Butch Dill-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 1, 2019; Dunedin, FL, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman Rodolfo Castro (90) throws to first base to retire Toronto Blue Jays catcher Luke Maile (not pictured) during the sixth inning at Dunedin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Butch Dill-USA TODAY Sports
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Pittsburgh Pirates
PITTSBURGH, PA – JULY 20: A New Era pillbox Pittsburgh Pirates baseball hat is seen in the dugout during the game against the Philadelphia Phillies at PNC Park on July 20, 2019 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)

Outfielder Matthew Fraizer

Obviously, guys like Travis Swaggerty, Hudson Head, Canaan Smith-Njigba, and Rodolfo Nolasco are going to get a ton of attention as they are the Pirates’ best outfield prospects. But one prospect who’s silently been one of the organization’s best hitters in the minors is Matthew Fraizer.

The Pittsburgh Pirates selected the lefty outfielder in the 3rd round of the 2019 draft. After a poor showing in 2019, Fraizer looks like he could put himself onto prospect maps this year. The 23-year-old is hitting .320/.423/.524 with 5 home runs, a .418 wOBA, and 162 wRC+ through 124 plate appearances at Greensboro.

Fraizer has shown that always sought-after power/speed combo many teams are looking for in prospects. He currently is on pace for over 20 home runs across a full season’s worth of plate appearances. To go with that, Frazier has a healthy .204 ISO, which is 7th among Pirate minor league hitters with at least 100 plate appearances. But he’s also stolen 5 bases, albeit in 9 attempts.

Still, having some speed makes his OBP that much better. Frazier’s power does not come at the expense of his plate discipline. He is walking at an outstanding 15.3% rate, while only going down on strike three 16.1% of the time. Overall, he currently leads all Pirates minor league hitters in wRC+, OPS, batting average, is second in wOBA, OBP, SLG, strikeout rate and fifth in ISO (min. 80 PA).

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