Pittsburgh Pirates Breakout Candidates: JT Brubaker vs Bryse Wilson

Jul 31, 2021; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher JT Brubaker (34) throws against the Philadelphia Phillies during the fifth inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 31, 2021; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher JT Brubaker (34) throws against the Philadelphia Phillies during the fifth inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports /
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CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – SEPTEMBER 04: JT Brubaker #34 of the Pittsburgh Pirates plays during a game against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on September 04, 2021 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – SEPTEMBER 04: JT Brubaker #34 of the Pittsburgh Pirates plays during a game against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on September 04, 2021 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty Images) /

Verdict

Each comes with their pros and cons. If you play the numbers game, Brubaker is the better breakout candidate. The underlying numbers represent a pitcher who’s 5-10% better than the league average and whose batted ball rates could help limit home runs instead of giving them up. If you want to believe in the potential and talent, then Wilson is the better of the two. Wilson was a consensus top 100 prospects by the end of 2018. Going into 2019, he was considered in the top 100 lists of Baseball America, MLB Pipeline, Baseball Prospectus, and FanGraphs.

However, I think I have to go with Wilson on this one. Now that doesn’t mean I think Brubaker will do awful next year. But between the two, I think Wilson will do much better. Wilson was a top prospect before the likes of Mike Soroka, Ronald Acuna Jr., Ian Anderson, and Austin Riley graduated prospect status.

Next. High Potential of Anthony Solometo. dark

Wilson has also not been given a shot to prove himself. Like I stated earlier, he has been optioned to the minors 17 times since arriving in the Majors in late-2018. Before being traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Braves optioned him 6 times in 2021 alone. He’s done well throughout the minor leagues and we don’t have a good reason to believe he can’t succeed against MLB batters yet.