Pittsburgh Pirates Prospects: Potential 2022 Lineup for Double-A Altoona
By Noah Wright
Center Field: Connor Scott
The Pittsburgh Pirates acquired Connor Scott as part of the Jacob Stallings swap. As one of the three players heading back to the Pirates, he is considered to have the highest ceiling of the trio. Scott was a first-round pick by the Miami Marlins in the 2019 draft. He was projected to go within the first 15 selections and went at #13.
Scott had a solid breakout season at High-A in 2021. He batted .276/.333/.446 with a .348 wOBA, and 112 wRC+. He also hit 10 home runs and pinned a .170 ISO in 435 trips to home plate. Plus he swiped 14 bags. The biggest worry about Scott is his plate discipline. He walked just 7.1% of the time while having a 21.1% strikeout rate. The walk rate is a bit lower than you’d like and the strikeout rate is a bit high for a guy who doesn’t walk frequently.
Like Peguero, Scott had a great second half of 2021. The final 183 plate appearances of his season saw him bat .322/.356/.557 with a .398 wOBA, and 144 wRC+. Scott walked at just a 4.4% rate, which is very low. But a 144 wRC+ is still phenomenal in any context.
Scott is a great runner with FanGraphs pegging him with 70-grade speed. Defensively, he’s a 60-grade defender with a strong arm. He’s a Gold Glove candidate with 20/20 potential. His hit tool is a bit weak, but he’s a high-ceiling prospect. Next year will be his age-22 season, making him a reasonable age to start at Double-A.