MLB takes notice as Pirates’ farm system makes big 2025 jump

For a long time, it felt like all that Pittsburgh Pirates fans had to look forward to was a future that would never come. Staring out at the horizon from inside the void of mediocrity, the Pirates faithful could only hope that one day the cavalry would come from the minor leagues to save the day.

The regard that the farm system has been held in has remained something of a sore spot. For all the trades and high draft picks, the system was ranked 20th during MLB Pipeline's 2024 midseason update. The farm eventually rose to a league average ranking, coming in 14th in the 2025 preseason list, and got up to ninth during this year's midseason re-evaluation.

Those represented some encouraging steps forward, sure, but now Pittsburgh's farm is finally getting some serious recognition, named by MLB.com as one of the nine systems that improved the most in 2025.

A banner year for Pirates' prospects has the future looking bright

The star of the show is Pirates' 2024 first-round pick Konnor Griffin. Griffin lit the world on fire, rising three levels beginning at Single-A Bradenton, and then getting the call to Hi-A Greensboro, before finishing his tour de force with a 21-game stint at Double-A Altoona.

Every step of the way, he crushed the baseball and finished the year with a combined .333/.415/.527 line with 21 homers and 65 steals. That stellar first pro season has Griffin in the conversation to make the Pirates' 2026 Opening Day roster, despite not turning 20 until about a month into the season.

Griffin wasn't alone. Powerful outfielder Esmerlyn Valdez showed out in Greensboro, slashing .303/.385/.592 before finishing his year in Altoona for his final 51 games, hitting a respectable .260/.363/.409. What really put him on the map was his showing in the Arizona Fall League, where he led the showcase circuit with eight homers in 57 at-bats, and finished second with a 1.355 OPS.

On the pitching side, Bubba Chandler and Hunter Barco both got a taste of big league action, with the former showing flashes of dominance with his 98.6 miles per hour fastball shining in his brief 31.1 inning big league stint. The latter showed positive signs at Triple-A Indianapolis and earned a brief cup of coffee at the end of September.

Further on down the line, 2025's first-round pick Seth Hernandez, the top-ranked prep arm in the draft, is set to generate a lot of excitement when he makes his pro debut in 2026. In addition, 19-year-old Edward Florentino put together a stellar campaign in his first year stateside, slashing .290/.400/.548 with 16 homers and 35 steals between the Florida Complex League and Single-A.

All of this gives Pittsburgh budding talent at every level, from guys banging on the door like recent acquisition Jhostynxon Garcia, to intriguing toolsheds at the lower levels like Tony Blanco Jr., and everything in between.

What we're finally starting to see is that all the pain and suffering of the past is starting to bear fruit, and the Pirates are loaded with players who have superstar potential at every level - and that talent is about to spill over to the big league club. When the 2026 rankings come out, expect to see Pittsburgh's farm at the top of the charts.