3 Pirates prospects who are gunning for an early season promotion

The Pittsburgh Pirates have plenty of prospects who are off to strong starts to 2025. Some will eventually get to the Major Leagues this year, like Bubba Chandler. However, there are plenty more players in the levels below Indianapolis who are gunning for a promotion. With how well they’ve kicked off 2025, you should expect to see these three pitching prospects get a bump to the next level of the minor leagues within the very near future.

3 Pirates prospects who are gunning for promotions with hot starts to 2025 season

Hunter Barco

Hunter Barco likely would have already been at Triple-A had it not been for Tommy John surgery. The southpaw received the elbow procedure during his final year of college in 2022 before the Pirates drafted him in the second round. After only pitching 18.1 innings in 2023, Barco came back strong in 2024 and now is looking even better this season.

He pitched 66.1 innings last year and worked to the tune of a 3.27 ERA, 3.29 FIP, and 1.06 WHIP. Barco induced a strikeout 31.2% of the time while only allowing a free pass at an 8.3% rate. The left-hander also had a solid 46.4% ground ball percentage, which helped him keep his home run rate to a 0.68-per-9 ratio.

Barco only pitched four innings between two starts at Double-A before he was shut down for the rest of the season. The Pirates opted to send him back to Altoona to open 2025, but his performance so far makes it look like he won’t be there for much longer. Barco has pitched 13 scoreless frames to open 2025. He has only allowed six hits, a pair of walks, and has K’d 14 batters to kick off the new campaign. Barco saw an uptick in velocity during spring training, and this could be one of the major reasons he is succeeding if he is maintaining that increase in pitch speed. 

Barco is already 24 as well, so he’s also old enough to get a bump to Triple-A Indianapolis. There’s a good chance, based on how well he’s been tossing the ball so far, that Barco will receive the bump to Triple-A Indianapolis when the Pirates promote Bubba Chandler, which could be sooner rather than later.

Anthony Solometo

Hunter Barco isn’t the only left-hander at Altoona looking to get promoted to Indianapolis. Anthony Solometo is also off to a great start to the season. The southpaw has spent a good portion of the last two seasons at Altoona and, after struggling greatly last season, is now looking to take the next step.

2024 was mostly forgettable for Solometo. He pitched 75.1 innings, working to a 5.37 ERA, 5.40 FIP, and 1.52 WHIP. After showing improving command in 2023, Solometo saw his BB% rise to 12.4% last season. Meanwhile, his K% dropped 26.2% to just 16.9%. The only thing he didn’t struggle in was limiting home runs and inducing grounders, with a respectable 1.02 HR/9 and 51.2% GB% (the 68th highest GB% of any minor leaguer with 70+ IP).

After such a poor season, Solometo was sent to Altoona to open 2025. It has only been ten innings in two starts, but the results have been pretty good, and could be an indication of a rebound. Solometo has only allowed a single earned run with seven K’s, but he has also handed out four free passes. However, for what it’s worth, three of those walks came in his first start, and he also struck out five.

Solometo could also replace one of the many Triple-A pitchers who are on the cusp of making the Major Leagues. Mike Burrows and Braxton Ashcraft are also prime candidates to get a Major League promotion in the very near future, and once that happens, Solometo could get that promotion if he is healthy and still pitching well.

Garrett McMillan

Both Hunter Barco and Anthony Solometo are two of the Pirates’ better pitching prospects. Baseball America ranks Barco at No. 10 and Solometo at No. 15. MLB Pipeline has a similar opinion with Barco at No. 7 and Solometo at No. 14. However, one prospect who you won’t find on either list is Garrett McMillan.

McMillan was a 14th-round draft pick by the Pirates in 2023, and his first extended look in pro ball last season was extremely good. McMillan worked to a 2.18 ERA, 2.89 FIP, and 1.18 WHIP in 70.1 innings between Bradenton and Altoona. McMillan was used as a swingman-type pitcher, starting four of his 36 total appearances. However, the right-hander also had a quality 28.2% K%, 7% walk rate, and HR/9 of just 0.51.

McMillan was sent to Greensboro to open the 2025 season, and he’s done nothing but dominate so far. In 15 innings and three starts, McMillan has only allowed three earned runs. However, that’s not the most impressive part of McMillan’s start. He also has struck out 16 opponents with just one free pass allowed. But, on the downside, he’s also allowed three home runs.

Sure, it’s a small sample size, and McMillan isn’t a ranked prospect, but he is one of the best performers who you can’t find on a top 30 prospect list. Last season, only 17 pitchers had an ERA under 2.50, with a K%-BB% of at least 20%. This included some very notable pitching prospects like Noah Schultz and Travis Sykora ... and then there was McMillan, who was also part of that list of 17 players. At 24 years old, McMillan is likely the prime candidate to get moved up to Altoona if/when either Solometo and/or Barco get sent to Triple-A or the Major Leagues.