3 sleeper Pirates prospects nobody is talking about ahead of Opening Day

2. Scott Randall

Scott Randall was acquired in a trade that mostly flew under the radar in the 2022-2023 offseason, when the Pirates sent utility man Diego Castillo to the Arizona D-Backs in exchange for the right-hander. Randall’s 2024 season was strong, as he spent the year as a long reliever/spot starter and pitched 53.1 innings in 19 games/three starts. Randall’s 4.39 ERA was about the only negative to his bottom line. He had a strong 2.82 FIP and 1.14 WHIP between the three levels of the minor leagues.

Randall’s peripherals were also very strong. He struck out just under a quarter of opponents, with a 24.3% K%, but only handed out a walk to 3.2% of batters he faced. Among all minor league pitchers with at least 50 innings pitched, Randall had the seventh-lowest walk rate and was one of only 20 hurlers with a BB% under 4%. Among those 20, only 11 had a K%-BB% over 20%, including Randall. He was not home run prone either, with a 0.51 HR/9 rate.

Randall mostly struggled with batted ball luck. His opponents' batting average on balls in play was .333. The right-hander induced ground balls at an above-average 45.1% rate with a sub-20% line drive rate. If he keeps that up in 2025, he should see that simmer down closer to .300, which will help his ERA also return closer to his underlying numbers. Along with a solid FIP, xFIP also puts him at 3.32, predicting a stronger 2025 with better luck.

Randall’s stuff isn’t overpowering. He only sits 92 MPH with his four-seamer, but it has above-average movement. Randall will also mix in a low-80s slider, mid-80s cutter and changeup, and an upper-70s curveball. His changeup is his best pitch. Randall is an athletic pitcher who keeps a short arm in his windup. He has consistently shown outstanding command over his offerings - even in college, when he had a 2.5% walk rate in his final season at Sacramento State in 2021.

His elite command definitely makes him stick out among the Pirates’ unranked prospects. Randall is already 26 and turns 27 in August, but he is also already in the upper levels of the minor leagues. He could make his debut in 2025 in the event of an injury, or if the Pirates need a multi-inning arm out of the 'pen.