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

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.