Pittsburgh Pirates: Prospects Who Need Promoted This Month

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JULY 16: Mike Burrows #50 of the National League pitches during the fifth inning of the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game against the American League at Dodger Stadium on July 16, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JULY 16: Mike Burrows #50 of the National League pitches during the fifth inning of the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game against the American League at Dodger Stadium on July 16, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) /
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Pittsburgh Pirates
PITTSBURGH, PA – JUNE 07: Travis Swaggerty #50 of the Pittsburgh Pirates in action during the game against the Detroit Tigers at PNC Park on June 7, 2022 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images) /

Outfielder Travis Swaggerty

Not to continue to beat this dead horse, but 2018 first-round pick Travis Swaggerty has absolutely nothing left to prove in the minor leagues. If not for a shoulder injury last season he may have become a mainstay in the Pirate outfield last summer. Over the course of the final month of the season, Swaggerty should be in the majors and playing every day.

Swaggerty made his MLB debut earlier this season but was never given a fair shake. The left-handed hitter only got nine MLB plate appearances, six of which came against left-handed pitching, before he was optioned back to the minors. He has been at Triple-A Indianapolis ever since.

After landing on the concussion injured list early in the season, Swaggerty has been swinging a hot bat for Indianapolis. In his last 323 PAs, which dates back to May 12th, Swaggerty has hit for a .272/.368/.448 slash line with a 119 wRC+ for the Indians. He’s drawn walks at a well above average 13.3% rate and has collected extra base hits at an 8.5% clip.

Again, Swaggerty has nothing left to prove in the minors. He is 25-years-old and was considered possibly the most advanced college bat in the 2018 MLB Draft. The Pittsburgh Pirates need to find out what they have in Swaggerty and that needs to start with him playing in the majors every day for the rest of the season.