Pittsburgh Pirates: Three Late-Blooming Minor Leaguers to Watch

1 of 4

BOSTON, MA – AUGUST 14: Ben Cherington, general manager of the Boston Red Sox, leaves the pressroom after addressing the media before a game with the Seattle Mariners at Fenway Park on August 14, 2015 in Boston, Massachusetts. John Farrell #53 of the Boston Red Sox will step down to start treatments Stage 1 lymphoma.(Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images) /

While most of the Pittsburgh Pirates top prospects are age 23 or younger, they have a handful of unranked potential late bloomers in the minor leagues.

The Pittsburgh Pirates have plenty of young minor leaguers on the verge of making the major leagues. Quinn Priester, Endy Rodriguez, Nick Gonzales, Liover Peguero, and Mike Burrows are all 23 years old or younger, and they’ve all played a decent amount at the Double-A level. Most young prospects are projected to be impact players in the future, but there are many late-blooming, productive major leaguers around the league.

These guys may not be top prospects, but they had pretty decent seasons at Double-A last season and could potentially impact the 2023 season. The Pittsburgh Pirates may have the opportunity to give them an extended look in the major leagues next season, and if they do get that shot, we may see an unexpected factor play into the team’s future.

Infielder Andres Alvarez

Andres Alvarez was a 22nd-round pick by the Pirates in 2019. Alvarez didn’t play all that much in 2019 or 2021, collecting just 327 plate appearances and appearing in only 83 games between the two seasons. But Alvarez got an opportunity to play an entire season in 2022 and took full advantage of it.

In 443 plate appearances, Alvarez slashed .220/.339/.429 and crushed 20 home runs. With 21 stolen bases in 22 attempts, making him and Matt Gorski are the Pirates’ only 20/20 prospects this season. Alvarez put up a .209 isolated slugging percentage and walked at a 14.4% rate, the second-highest BB% among Pirates minor leaguers last season in at least 300 plate appearances. Between his ability to get on base at a healthy rate and hit for power, Alvarez put up a .342 wOBA and 111 wRC+.

The one downside is Alvarez struck out 27.8% of the time, which certainly doesn’t bode well for the future. But on the plus side, he can play multiple positions. Alvarez saw time at both middle infield positions, as well as third base and left field. He definitely has the speed to play up the middle and seemed to do fine in the outfield grass.

Even if he’s never a starting-caliber player, no team wouldn’t take a guy who can play anywhere you need him to and provide power and speed to reach double digits in both home runs and stolen bases, even in a part-time role. Alvarez is Rule 5 eligible, though, but the chances he gets taken in the draft are not very high.

Infielder Aaron Shackelford

After Matt Gorski and Endy Rodriguez, Aaron Shackelford was the Pirates’ third-best power hitter in their minor leagues last season. Shackelford also joined Alvarez in the 20-home run club at Altoona last season, and with him turning 26 on October 16th, Shackelford put his name in contention for first base time next season.

Shackelford batted .239/.314/.499 in 443 plate appearances for Altoona. He hit 26 home runs, making it the second season in a row he had at least 20 dingers, and put up a .249 ISO, which just Gorski and Rodriguez outpaced. On top of that, he had a solid 9% walk rate, though this did come with the caveat of a 28.9% strikeout rate. Although the strikeout rate was a tad high, Shackelford finished the year with a .351 wOBA and 111 wRC+ for Altoona. Shackelford was promoted to Triple-A at the end of the year but only appeared in four games.

Shackelford was not your typical draft selection. Selected out of the NAIA Master’s University, Shackelford was drafted as a third baseman. But in the last two years, he’s mostly worked at first base and the keystone. He also played a few games in right field this year, though it was just 60 innings and seven games.

The first base situation in the major leagues is not pretty, and that might be an understatement. Currently, the Pirates only have one first baseman listed on their depth chart, and that’s Zack Collins. Given Shackelford’s strong season at Altoona, he deserves at least a shot to secure some major league playing time in Spring Training. Shackelford has arguably surpassed Mason Martin in terms of readiness, so why not see if the late-round NAIA alumni can make something of a major league career?

PITTSBURGH, PA – SEPTEMBER 26: Roansy Contreras #59 of the Pittsburgh Pirates pitches to Kyle Farmer #17 of the Cincinnati Reds in the third inning during the game at PNC Park on September 26, 2022 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) /

Relief Pitcher Colin Selby

Marty recently covered Colin Selby after his breakout performance for Double-A Altoona. The right-hander was a 16th-round pick by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2018 and toiled as a starting pitcher in the low levels of the minor leagues. He fully transitioned to the bullpen in 2021 but truly found his footing this year.

In his age-24 season, Selby pitched 32.2 innings for Altoona, working to the tune of a 2.20 ERA, 2.59 FIP, and 1.26 WHIP. Selby allowed just a single dinger, holding batters to a 29.6% fly ball rate and getting them to hit a grounder 53.1% of the time. Selby also had a 29.7% strikeout rate, though it did come with a sub-par 10.1% walk rate.

Selby has joined some of the best Pirate prospects at the Arizona Fall League. He’s only tossed four innings but has struck out five batters and has been cranking the heat up. He’s been recorded hitting 99 MPH with his fastball.

Next. An Early Look at Offseason Extension Candidates. dark

Selby typically works in the mid-90s but certainly can reel back for more when he needs to. He pairs that with a nice curveball that sits in the low-80s. Selby does have some upside, and it would be nice to see him make his debut next year. The Pittsburgh Pirates need all the help they can get in the bullpen, and while Selby might not be their best relief prospect, he could become a surprise name to watch next season.

Home / Pirates Prospects