Former Pirates pitching prospect's significant velocity jump puts pressure on 2024 trade

Nick Yorke has been very exciting to watch since arriving in the Pirates organization at the 2024 Trade Deadline. Following the updated MLB Pipeline prospect rankings, it became clear that the rest of the world had noticed, too; Yorke got bumped up to a top-five prospect in the organization, providing us with another source that believes he is a top prospect.

A lot of pressure is on him now with all the attention, but as if that wasn't enough, the player the Pirates surrendered to acquire him has ratcheted up the stakes as well.

Quinn Priester was once a top prospect in the Pirates organization, but he was sent away in exchange for Yorke. That one-for-one deal was intended to help both organizations fill weaknesses, rather than a traditional seller/buyer deal. The Red Sox got a controllable young pitcher with upside, while Pittsburgh improved their offensive depth (while retaining plenty of pitching across multiple levels).

That surplus of depth made it easier for Pittsburgh to let go of Priester. Still, he truly had a very high ceiling, and he is really displaying that this spring.

Quinn Priester showing big developmental signs is putting lots of pressure on the Pirates' trade for Nick Yorke.

Between the two teams in 2024, Priester averaged just 93 mph on the mound and it was hurting him, as his ERA with Pittsburgh was 6.46. He truly struggled at the big league level with his pitches, but now in his first spring start, Priester averaged 95 mph with his fastball, topping out at 97. That is very impressive, and he really needed that boost if he wanted to take the next step and emerge as a major league option. He also added a cutter to the mix, which is just another pitch in his deep arsenal.

Priester is really starting to show the stuff required to be a quality arm, and that is likely hard for the Pirates to see, even if they knew it was plausible. Now, Yorke needs to respond by living up to the recent hype. He does not have an easy path to show his stuff, as the Adam Frazier addition temporarily blocks him as the backup second baseman.

Now that Pittsburgh has moved on from Priester and the righty is taking the next step, the Pirates need Yorke to do the same. With recent memories of bad trades lingering around the Pirates, they cannot afford for this one to join that list.