3 Pirates prospects who absolutely should not be September call-ups

September roster expansion inevitably brings calls for teams to empty out Triple-A, promote their most interesting prospects and give fans something new to watch. The Pittsburgh Pirates shouldn't fall into that trap.

MLB rosters only expand from 26 to 28 players in September, meaning those two additional spots actually matter. And even with the Pirates' postseason hopes fading, they should still be treating the final month like a team attempting to win games — not conducting an organizational open house.

There are prospects worth considering for those spots. But Thomas Harrington, Lonnie White Jr. and Mitch Jebb shouldn't be among them.

3 Pirates promotions they absolutely should not make when 2026 rosters expand in September

Thomas Harrington

Harrington might be the easiest name to eliminate. The former first-round pick is already on the 40-man roster and has MLB experience, which makes him an obvious candidate from a logistical standpoint. But convenience shouldn't outweigh performance.

Harrington has posted a 5.72 ERA and 1.53 WHIP across 85 innings for Triple-A Indianapolis this season, striking out 80 batters. He's made 10 starts while also spending significant time working out of the bullpen.

The Pirates even briefly recalled him on July 10 when their bullpen desperately needed length, only to option him back to Indianapolis the following day. There's little reason to revisit that experiment simply because the calendar flips to September.

If Pittsburgh wants another pitcher, Khristian Curtis has done significantly more to earn those innings. September opportunities shouldn't be handed out based on who happens to already occupy a 40-man roster spot.

Lonnie White Jr.

White presents a much more tempting case. After years of injuries, strikeout problems and stalled momentum, the former 2021 second-round pick has finally delivered the breakout season Pittsburgh hoped was coming.

White is batting .282/.389/.541 with 24 home runs and 20 stolen bases across two levels of the minors this season. He's spent most of the year with Double-A Altoona, where he has continued to produce after earning an early-season promotion from High-A Greensboro. That's exactly why the Pirates shouldn't get greedy.

White has never played at Triple-A. His breakout doesn't need to culminate in Pittsburgh to be considered successful. In fact, jumping him directly from Double-A to the majors could accomplish little besides exposing how much development he still needs against advanced pitching.

His strikeout rate also remains worth monitoring despite his enormous improvement. And because White was already Rule 5 eligible last offseason — Pittsburgh left him unprotected and he went unselected — his performance creates a much more interesting 40-man decision this winter.

Protecting White and promoting White are two separate conversations. The Pirates should seriously consider the former, but they don't need the latter.

Mitch Jebb

Jebb's case is different. He has already reached Triple-A and has played well when healthy, batting around .270 with a .346 on-base percentage and a .787 OPS this season. But "when healthy" is doing a lot of work there.

Jebb spent nearly three months sidelined after Indianapolis transferred him to the 60-day injured list on May 1. He didn't return to Triple-A until July 24 after a rehab assignment. September shouldn't be about rushing him through the final step.

Jebb needs at-bats. He needs regular defensive work. He needs to make up for development time that disappeared because of injury. Sitting on Pittsburgh's bench and receiving sporadic plate appearances would accomplish almost none of that.

The Pirates also have a Rule 5 decision coming on Jebb this offseason, but, as with White, that doesn't require Pittsburgh to manufacture an MLB audition first.

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