3 underrated Pirates prospects who could make surprise MLB debuts in 2025

Every Pittsburgh Pirates fan is looking forward to seeing what top prospects like Bubba Chandler, Braxton Ashcraft, and Thomas Harrington can do in the Major Leagues in 2025. They could each play a prominent role on the Pirates’ pitching staff next year, and are each ranked as top 100 prospects in the game.

But the Pirates have plenty more prospects that could make their Major League debuts in 2025 if things break right. Some aren’t nearly as hyped as the aforementioned top 100 prospects, but with their current status, they are on track to get their first taste of Major League action in the very near future.

3 Pirates prospects who could parlay 2025 success into early MLB debuts

Hunter Barco

Hunter Barco was a 2022 draft pick, but the Pirates took the young lefty knowing that they probably wouldn’t get a good look at his capabilities until 2024. Barco underwent Tommy John surgery midway through his final college season. He didn’t return until the second half of 2023, but was put on a limited workload.

Last year, Barco pitched to a 3.27 ERA, 3.29 FIP, and 1.06 WHIP across 66.2 innings. He spent most of his year at High-A Greensboro but made two outings at Double-A Altoona before being shut down. Barco struck out over 30% of batters with a 31.2% K% and a quality 8.3% walk rate. Barco also induced his fair share of ground balls with a 46.7% GB%. This helped the lefty hold opponents to a 0.68 HR/9.

Barco isn’t a flamethrower, but he was clocked up to 96 MPH this past season. His slider looks like an above-average pitch that induced a whiff rate around 42%, according to Baseball America. He also began throwing a mid-80s splitter, which has flashed above-average potential. His second offspeed pitch is a changeup. Barco has shown decent control over his stuff, and his lower arm slot adds some deception to his pitches.

Barco is going into his age-24 season and will open the year at Altoona. That puts him in a good position to potentially make his debut sometime during the second half of the 2025 season. If the Pirates are still in contention by then, Barco could end up being a big boost to the pitching staff down the line.