Pittsburgh Pirates: Four Unsung Minor League Performances

Infielder Jackson Glenn

The Pittsburgh Pirates 2021 draft was one of the most notable in their recent history. They went under slot with their #1 selection of Henry Davis, but this led to over slot picks on Anthony Solometo, Owen Kellington, and big draft steals (and even bigger over slot bonuses) on Bubba Chandler, Lonnie White Jr., and Braylon Bishop. Though paying out big over slot deals meant the Pirates would have to go well under slot on some picks. In the 5th round, the Bucs selected Dallas Baptist senior Jackson Glenn, who signed for just $12.5K with a slot value of $422,300. Glenn’s first taste of professional action was impressive, to say the least.

Between his time playing at the Florida Complex League and A-Ball Greensboro, Glenn collected 130 plate appearances (mostly at Low-A where 124 originated from). The infielder posted a .340/.454/.491 line overall. At just Low-A he batted .337/.452/.475 with more walks (22) than strikeouts (21). This led to a wOBA of .439 and wRC+ of 158.

While Glenn didn’t hit a home run during his time in the minors, he racked up an impressive doubles total of 14. He was on pace for nearly 65 in 600 plate appearances. Glenn was a line drive machine and avoided ground balls. Glenn was just a hit machine. Now granted, he did have a .423 batting average on balls in play. But speaking that he hit no home runs and home runs lower BAbip, it’s not a massive sign of luck.

Glenn mainly played second base in the Pirate system, but also played a few games at the hot corner. In college, he played at least 1 game at every infield position. He’s already 23 and will turn 24 on October 24. He’s easily a guy who could start 2022 in the upper minors and even possibly get his first taste of big-league action by the end of the season.