Pittsburgh Pirates: Five More Potential Rule 5 Draft Picks

Wisconsin Timber Rattlers' Korry Howell (11) makes a catch against the Quad Cities River Bandits during their baseball game Thursday, July 7, 2021, at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium in Grand Chute, Wis. The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers won 8-7.Dan Powers/USA TODAY NETWORK-WisconsinApc Rattlersvsquad 0707210484djp
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers' Korry Howell (11) makes a catch against the Quad Cities River Bandits during their baseball game Thursday, July 7, 2021, at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium in Grand Chute, Wis. The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers won 8-7.Dan Powers/USA TODAY NETWORK-WisconsinApc Rattlersvsquad 0707210484djp /
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AMARILLO, TEXAS – AUGUST 12: Outfielder Chase Pinder #26 of the Springfield Cardinals bats during the game against the Amarillo Sod Poodles at HODGETOWN Stadium on August 12, 2022 in Amarillo, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images)
AMARILLO, TEXAS – AUGUST 12: Outfielder Chase Pinder #26 of the Springfield Cardinals bats during the game against the Amarillo Sod Poodles at HODGETOWN Stadium on August 12, 2022 in Amarillo, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images) /

Chase Pinder

As stated earlier, the Pittsburgh Pirates have almost no right-handed outfield options, with Triolo representing the only decent right-handed outfield option. If the Pirates have the opportunity to, they should keep an eye out for right-handed outfielders in the Rule 5 Draft, and Chase Pinder is a prospect they could steal from the division rival St. Louis Cardinals.

Pinder spent most of the year at Double-A, putting together an outstanding season at the dish. In 268 plate appearances, the outfielder slashed .278/.422/.488 with a .409 wOBA and 137 wRC+. Pinder drew nearly as many walks as base hits with 53 free passes, giving him an absurd 19.8% BB%. That was the second highest walk rate at Double-A last season (min. 250 PAs). It’s not as if he was a free-swinger either, with a strikeout rate of just 20.9%. He also had 14 doubles and ten home runs, culminating to a .211 isolated slugging percentage.

Triple-A didn’t treat Pinder nearly as well. He had just four hits in 39 plate appearances. But he still drew five walks, struck out four times, and luck was not on his side in the small sample size. Despite his line-drive rate increasing by nearly 11%, his batting average on balls in play was just .120. It’s a microscopic sample size, but that is in no way sustainable, given his plate discipline and power.

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The Pittsburgh Pirates need a right-handed hitting outfield option to pair with their myriad of lefty options. With Pinder’s great 2022 campaign and reaching Triple-A, he definitely should be on Rule 5 radars. With his display of both power and plate discipline in 2022, Pinder would be a nice low-risk player to take a chance on.