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Pittsburgh Pirates Prospects: Risers & Faller in FanGraph Rankings

By Marty Leap

PITTSBURGH, PA - OCTOBER 02: Oneil Cruz #61 of the Pittsburgh Pirates advances on a two-run RBI triple by Wilmer Difo #15 in the fifth inning during the game against the Cincinnati Reds at PNC Park on October 2, 2021 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH, PA - OCTOBER 02: Oneil Cruz #61 of the Pittsburgh Pirates advances on a two-run RBI triple by Wilmer Difo #15 in the fifth inning during the game against the Cincinnati Reds at PNC Park on October 2, 2021 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) /
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Pittsburgh Pirates
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – MAY 14: Tucupita Marcano #16 of the San Diego Padres grounds into a fielders choice during the third inning of a game against the St. Louis Cardinals at PETCO Park on May 14, 2021 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /

Notable fallers

Unfortunately, there were plenty of one-time highly touted Pirate prospects who tumbled down FanGraphs board. Two of the more notable ones were pitchers Brennan Malone and Tahnaj Thomas.

Malone is a prospect we recently discussed as having an important 2022 ahead of him. Between injuries and the COVID-19 pandemic costing minor leaguers of their season in 2020, Malone has pitched just 22.0 professional innings since being drafted 33rd overall by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 2019 MLB Draft.

Malone fell from being ranked no. 12 in the Pirate system to barely staying on the board at no. 56. Again, 2022 will be a vital season for the right-handed pitching Malone.

When the 2021 season ended Thomas was ranked no. 7 in the Pirate farm system and 90th overall in all of baseball. After walking 12.5% of batters faced, seeing his strikeout rate drop to 22.1%, and posting a 5.19 ERA/6.49 FIP in 16 starts at the High-A level, Thomas has plummeted to no. 52 in the system.

It came as a bit of a surprise when the Pittsburgh Pirates did not protect Thomas from the Rule 5 Draft earlier this offseason. Now that Thomas has slid this far down FanGraphs prospect rankings, this may not be as much of a surprise. Thomas’s long-term future appears more and more as if it will be as a reliever.

Another pitcher who took a big fall, going from no. 29 to no. 53, was Eddy Yean. The main piece in the Josh Bell trade, Yean pitched in 22 games, 8 of which were starts, for Bradenton last season. He posted a 5.27 ERA, 5.27 FIP, and he struggled with control walking 13.2% of batters faced. Yeah is another prospect with a very important 2022 season ahead.

Few players took a bigger stumble than outfielder Hudson Head. Viewed as the prized jewel of the Musgrove trade, the former 84th overall draft selection fell from no. 13 at the end of the 2021 season to no. 41 in the latest update from FanGraphs.

Head struggled at Low-A Bradenton last season, hitting for just a .213/.362/.394 slash line in 434 PAs across 101 games played. When Head was acquired by the Pirates the biggest concern about his game was his high swing-and-miss potential. Well, that came to fruition in 2021 when he struck out at a 31.6% clip. Without a bounce back season in 2022 Head could find himself in no prospect territory in a hurry.

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Staying with player acquired from San Diego, utility man Tucupita Marcano fell from no. 32 to no. 55. This came after he failed to see any playing time with the Pittsburgh Pirates and struggled with Triple-A Indianapolis. Marcano is a player who, whenever the major league season begins, should have a chance to being to trend upward again in a hurry as he will likely be on the team’s Opening Day roster.

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