4 Pirates prospects who possess the best position player tools in the farm system

Position players are judged by five tools: hit, power, fielding, arm, and speed. Players who are average or better in all five categories are considered five-tool players. These are typically the best players in the game; think of a Bobby Witt, Gunnar Henderson, or Francisco Lindor type. This is especially important when talking about prospects; the emergence of toolsy prospects can inspire hope among left-behind fan bases like that of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The Pirates have plenty of pitching talent, but their position player talent seems to get left behind when talking about what the Bucs have in the minor leagues. Throughout the Pirates' system, which hitters best represent each of the five tools? We took our best shot.

Which Pirates hitting prospects best represent the five tools?

Hit: Mitch Jebb

The hit tool is defined as a player’s ability to hit for average, make contact, and avoid striking out. No player fits the bill better than infield/outfield prospect Mitch Jebb. The Pirates took Jebb in the second round of the 2023 draft. Coming out of Michigan State, Jebb hit .327 throughout college with a strikeout rate of just 9.9% in 685 plate appearances.

Coming out of the gates this year, you would've thought that something had gone wrong between collegiate ball and the pros. Jebb had just a .199 batting average and struck out over a quarter of the time with a 25.9% K% throughout his first 239 plate appearances of the season. While it took some time, the sort of hitter many expected Jebb to be from the jump started to show up in the second half of the season.

His final 258 plate appearances of the year saw him hit for a .307 average, and slash his strikeout rate down to a microscopic 12.8%. Getting more hits and striking out far less often aren’t the only improvements Jebb made. He also drove his BB% from just 8.4% to 14% spanning his first poor stretch through his second half stretch.

Jebb’s first half left some concern. Given he has little power, he has to hit for a high average and avoid the K to be a productive batter. Luckily, his second half represented what many thought Jebb would do this year. Add in the fact he can draw walks at a quality rate, as well as steal some bases, and Jebb could be the Pirates’ leadoff hitter in a year or two.

Fielding and Speed: Konnor Griffin

The Pirates’ first-round pick from 2024 unsurprisingly appears on this list, and he does so representing two of the five tools. Konnor Griffin was considered the highest-ceiling prospect in this year’s draft. His athleticism, combined with his potential to be a 30/30 threat at two different premium positions, makes him one of the most dynamic minor leaguers out there.

Griffin is very fast. He stole 87 bases in 88 attempts this spring. Griffin receives very high praise for his ability to run. MLB Pipeline grades his run tool at 65 on the 20-80 scale. Baseball America is even more bullish, putting him at 70. He can use that speed to both swipe a ton of bases, as we saw this year, as well as cover ground at a very efficient rate.

Speaking of his defense, he easily has the most potential with his glove. The Pirates drafted Griffin as a shortstop, but he can also play center field. Both Pipeline and BA project him as a 60-grade defender. Pipeline states that he has Gold Glove potential in CF, but could easily stick as a plus defensive SS.

One thing of note is that Griffin has the best shot at being a five-tool player out of any Pirates prospect. He has the potential to grow into plus power, projects with an average hit tool, is exceptionally fast, can play two positions very well, and has a powerful arm that can play anywhere. No other position player prospect the Pirates have does as many things right as Griffin does, with very few minor leaguers anywhere matching his ceiling.

Billy Cook is definitely up there with Griffin in terms of both defense and speed. He had +6 defensive runs saved between all three outfield positions and was in the 93rd percentile of sprint speed across all of MLB during his brief taste of big league action. Wyatt Sanford is another talented middle infield defender. Both Jebb and Tsung-Che Cheng are worth mentioning when it comes to the fastest prospects the Pirates have as well. But Griffin can do it all.

Arm: Jack Brannigan

Jack Brannigan was the Pirates’ third-round pick in 2022. He was initially taken as a two-way player, seeing time at third base and out of the University of Notre Dame’s bullpen. Although the Pirates have seemingly scrapped his two-way prowess, given he has not pitched in the pros, Brannigan has been able to show off his powerful arm on the left side of the infield.

As a pitcher, Brannigan was sitting mid-to-upper-90s and topping out at 100 MPH. That kind of arm strength has been very useful for the infield prospect. Both MLB Pipeline and Baseball America are in agreement that Brannigan has plus-plus arm strength, putting him at a 70-grade. It also helps that he projects as an above-average to plus defender who can play third base, second base, and shortstop. SS was his primary position this past season.

Griffin gets an honorable mention here, too. He also pitched some as an amateur and received a 60 grade from Pipeline and BA. His arm will play at shortstop and in the outfield. Cook also gets another honorable mention. Baseball Savant put his arm value at +1, and while it’s not the best way to evaluate a player’s arm strength, he did make two outfield assists in less than 100 innings in the major leagues.