Pittsburgh Pirates Prospects Who Will Benefit From a Full 2022 Season

Right-handed pitcher Ricky DeVito

In my opinion, Ricky DeVito is one of the more overlooked prospects in the Pirates farm system. He isn’t very flashy, nor was he some sort of high draft pick. But he gets the job done and has a fair bit of talent. If he gets a taste of a full season in 2022, he could solidify himself as a potential long term part of the Pirates’ pitching staff.

DeVito was taken in the 8th round by the Atlanta Braves in 2019. While not the most exciting pitcher taken throughout the draft, DeVito has pitched well when he has taken the mound. Throughout 57 innings throughout his pro career so far, DeVito has a 3.16 ERA, 3.60 FIP, and 1.33 WHIP. He’s kept up a healthy strikeout rate with a 24.5% mark and has paired that with a .79 HR/9 rate. While his 9.1% walk rate isn’t going to blow anybody away, it’s good enough to get by.

This year, the right-hander started the season out at High-A where he tossed just 20.1 innings with the Braves’ affiliate. He only allowed 6 earned runs with 27 strikeouts but was cut short because of an injury. Still, the talent is there for the right-hander. He displayed it during his small sample size of innings.

DeVito isn’t a hard thrower. He only comes in around 92-95 MPH and tops out at 97 MPH. But his fastball is still considered average. His curveball is also considered an average offering. His best pitch is a splitter. It’s considered a 60-grade offering in the future, giving him three offerings that project as average or better.

I will admit, DeVito’s ceiling is considerably lower than Malone’s, Nolasco’s, or the last name I’ll be talking about. But I do think he has the potential to fill a role many overlook. DeVito has the makings to be a very good swingman-type pitcher. That’s a guy who can fill in as a starter, provide multiple innings out of the pen, and even pitch a few higher leverage spots, essentially being a pitching version of a super-utility man by the Pittsburgh Pirates.