One underrated player at each Pirates minor league team to watch in 2025

Underrated Pirates Minor-Leaguer in Indianapolis: Hunter Barco

Fans at Triple-A Indianapolis are going to see some very talented pitchers as the 2025 season unfolds. Even if Bubba Chandler doesn’t open the year in their rotation and is promoted straight to the major leagues, they’ll still have Thomas Harrington and possibly Mike Burrows and Braxton Ashcraft. But one name that may get glossed over in a system filled with pitching at the upper levels of the minor leagues is Hunter Barco.

Barco’s first extended look after Tommy John surgery went great. He pitched 66 innings between Greensboro and Altoona, working to a 3.27 ERA, 3.29 FIP, and 1.06 WHIP. The southpaw only walked 8.3% of the batters he faced, with a strikeout rate of over 30% at 31.2%. Barco also did not allow home runs very often. He held opponents to an 0.68 HR/9 with an above-average 46.4% ground ball rate.

Barco isn’t a flamethrower, sitting around 92-94 MPH and topping out at 96 with his fastball, according to Baseball America. His low-80s slider has developed into an above-average-looking breaking offering. Barco’s splitter is another pitch that has above-average potential in his arsenal. He has also displayed good control over his pitch mix, and a lower arm slot adds some deception to his stuff.

Barco is the best prospect on today’s list, but he is going to be clustered among many other top pitching prospects in 2025. He is already 24 and reached Double-A last season. A hot start to the year could lead to an early season promotion to Triple-A Indy, unless the Pirates decide to make the bold decision to open the year with him at the highest level of the minors. His roster mates will be in consideration for MLB spot starts and bullpen roles all season, and with a strong first half, he just might join them.

Honorable Mentions: Sammy Siani, Po-Yu Chen