Pittsburgh Pirates Prospects in FanGraphs Top 100

FanGraphs has released their updated top 100 prospects list and it includes a quartet of Pittsburgh Pirates prospects, with two more knocking on the door

While the start of spring training is currently delayed a TBA, it has not slowed down top prospect SZN. On Wednesday FanGraphs released their updated top 100 prospects. This top 100 list includes four Pittsburgh Pirates prospects.

The Pittsburgh Pirates have one of the deepest farm systems in all of baseball. It is not a surprise to see this farm system well represented throughout FanGraphs top prospect lists. In addition to their four prospects that fall in the top 100, they have two more knocking on the door of the top 100.

Shortstop prospect Oneil Cruz checks in at no. 8 in FanGraphs top 100. Catcher Henry Davis is no. 22, starting pitcher Roansy Contreras checks in at no. 41, and shortstop Liover Peguero is the no. 90 prospect in baseball according to FanGraphs.

Just outside the top 100 are starting pitcher Quinn Priester and second baseman Nick Gonzales. While some fans may be surprised to see these two fall it does not come as a major surprise, either. Also, being ranked as the no. 102 and 105 prospects, respectively, in all of baseball still makes a player one of the best prospects in the game.

Cruz has the potential to be the National League Rookie of the Year this season. While he will likely start the season with Triple-A Indianapolis, he should be in the majors by early-to-mid June at the latest which would still put the slugging shortstop prospect in line to be a top contender for NL Rookie of the Year.

Contreras should also compete for the NL Rookie of the Year Award. Last season Contreras had a dominant season in the minors before pitching 3 scoreless innings in his MLB debut in September. Like Cruz, he will likely start the season at Triple-A before joining the the rotation early in the season and becoming a mainstay for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

As for Davis and Peguero, neither are likely to see MLB time in 2022. Davis will likely start the season at High-A Greensboro while Peguero is ticketed for Double-A Altoona. Both, however, could be at Triple-A by the end of the season setting both of them up for MLB debuts in 2023.

Like Peguero, Priester should start the season in Altoona. If he pitches well for the Curve, Priester could find himself in the Triple-A Indianapolis rotation by the end of the season. This would set Priester up to potentially join the Pirate rotation in the summer of 2023.

Gonzales should begin the season as Peguero’s double play partner at Altoona. This would come after they spent the 2021 season as the double play duo for Greensboro. While Gonzales could likely climb through the upper levels quickly and potentially make his MLB debut late this season, there is also an argument to be made to keep him and Peguero together, as long as it’s applicable, as that is the double play duo of the Pittsburgh Pirates for at least 6-7 seasons, possibly beginning as soon as 2023. That said, if Gonzales continues to hit in 2022 the way he did in 2021 a September call-up would certainly be in the cards.