Could this Pirates pitching prospect follow lefty All-Star's path after rough season?

Pittsburgh Pirates pitching prospect Anthony Solometo had a rough 2024 season. Not only did he miss time, but he was also ineffective when he took the mound. While Solometo is still only entering his age-22 season and has time to figure things out as a starting pitcher, he could also follow in the footsteps of long-time Pirates bullpen arm Tony Watson.

After a very promising 2023, where he split the season almost evenly between Greensboro and Altoona, Solometo put up just a 5.37 ERA, 5.40 FIP, and 1.52 WHIP in 70.1 innings, most of which were spent at Double-A. He had a respectable 1.01 HR/9 rate, but that’s where the positives end. The young southpaw struck out a meager 16.9% of his opponents faced. After making progress with his control in 2023, he saw his walk rate spike to 12.4% in 2024. Not only did Solometo’s control take a step back, but so did his velocity.

It was a mostly forgettable year for Solometo, but he still presents a handful of similarities to the highly successful Watson.The all-time leader in holds was listed at 6’3” and 224 pounds. Solometo has a similar structure, as he is currently listed at 6’4”, 220 pounds. Watson was a low arm slot lefty, with an average vertical release point during his final two seasons with the Bucs (2015 and 2016) sitting at 5.24 feet. Solometo sits around 5-5.5 feet. 

Pirates top prospect could follow Tony Watson's All-Star lefty relief path

Watson also had a poor first showing at Altoona. In 2009, he only started five games, pitching 15.1 innings. It was a small sample size, but he struggled mightily, allowing 14 earned runs, 11 walks, and striking out just 14. After that season, Watson transitioned into a bullpen role, and by the end of 2011, he was in the Pirates’ Major League bullpen.

Watson wasn’t a flamethrower compared to other relievers. His sinker regularly sat 93-94 MPH, with 2014 representing its peak velocity, averaging out at 95 MPH. In Baseball America’s writeup on Watson in 2008, a year after he was drafted, he was reportedly only sitting in the upper 80s. Solometo has never been a hard thrower throughout the minor leagues, either. His velocity took a step back for most of 2024, but he regained some zip at the end of the season. He was sitting 91-94 MPH in 2023 when he pitched 110.1 innings and made 24 starts, and shorter stints out of the pen could help him gain another tick in velocity.

The one thing that separates them, however, is age. Solometo will be 22 for the entirety of the 2025 season. Watson was already 22 when he made his professional debut, and didn’t move into a bullpen role until his age-25 season. Still, 2025 will be Solometo’s fourth pro season, while Watson also moved to the pen in his fourth season in the minor leagues.

Both Watson and Solometo are low-arm-slot lefties who relied more on control than overall stuff throughout the minor leagues. Both also were starting pitchers to begin their professional careers before struggling greatly with Altoona. Watson, obviously, went on to become a dominant setup man. It is a bit early for the Pirates to totally give up on Solometo as a starter, but the foundation is there to make him Tony Watson 2.0 if he falters in 2025.