The Pittsburgh Pirates are generally known for their wealth of pitching prospects, but a new ranking suggests that that their farm system has become significantly more well-rounded.
Keith Law of The Athletic (subscription required) released his Top 100 MLB Prospects list, and four Pirates farmhands made the cut – but only one of them is a pitcher.
Pittsburgh's top pitching prospect, Bubba Chandler, is the Pirates' highest-ranked prospect on Law's list at No. 19. He's followed by second baseman Nick Yorke (No. 50), shortstop Konnor Griffin (No. 84) and second baseman Termarr Johnson (No. 92).
Taking a closer look at the 4 Pirates prospects in Keith Law's Top 100
Bubba Chandler, RHP (No. 19)
Chandler, selected by the Pirates in the third round (No. 72 overall) of the 2021 MLB Draft, spent the majority of the 2024 season with Double-A Altoona before earning a promotion to Triple-A Indianapolis last August. He finished with 4-0 record in seven Triple-A starts, recording a 1.83 ERA in 39.1 innings pitched. Chandler allowed just 26 hits, eight earned runs, two homers and 15 walks against 54 strikeouts. He held opposing hitters to a .183 batting average and a 1.04 WHIP. While he is not guaranteed a spot on the Pirates' Opening Day roster, he is projected to make his MLB debut as soon as 2025.
Nick Yorke, 2B (No. 50)
The Pirates picked up Yorke at the 2024 trade deadline in a swap of former first-round picks that sent right-handed pitcher Quinn Priester to the Boston Red Sox. Yorke tore it up in Indianapolis, slashing .355/.431/.507 with 54 hits, two home runs and 26 RBI in 40 games to earn his first Major League call-up. The Pirates selected his contract on Sept. 16, and he went on to slash .216/.286/.378 in 11 games.
Konnor Griffin, SS (No. 84)
Griffin is the Pirates' most recent first-round pick, selected at No. 9 overall in the 2024 MLB Draft. He has yet to suit up in a professional game in the Pirates' system, but he has tremendous upside at the plate after posting a staggering .559 batting average as a high school senior. Drafted as a shortstop, Griffin can also play in the outfield, giving the Pirates more options as far as how they develop him going forward.
Termarr Johnson, 2B (No. 92)
The Pirates took Johnson at No. 4 overall in the 2022 MLB Draft. He spent most of the 2024 season with High-A Greensboro, where he slashed .238/.372/.712 before being promoted to Double-A Altoona in late August. He hit .229/.316/.396 with two home runs and eight RBI in 14 Double-A games. He also won a bronze medal with Team USA at the Premier12 Tournament in Tokyo this past November.
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