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As the Pittsburgh Pirates continue to look for their first postseason appearance since 2015, the organization's highly-touted farm system has continued to give fans hope that help is on the way. In 2025, however, that might no longer be the case.
In his annual MLB farm system rankings (subscription required), ESPN's Kiley McDaniel ranked the Pirates' farm system at No. 20. Pittsburgh ranked 14th last year, and a slight dip in the rankings is expected when a player of Skenes' caliber graduates from the prospect ranks. Still, it paints a bleak picture for the future of a team that isn't exactly competitive in the present.
Pittsburgh also ranked last among teams in the National League Central. The Milwaukee Brewers came in at No. 8, while the Chicago Cubs weren't far behind at No. 10. The Cincinnati Reds ranked No. 13, and the St. Louis Cardinals landed just ahead of the Pirates at No. 19.
"The whole organization has a different feel after the emergence of Paul Skenes," McDaniel wrote. "Oneil Cruz might be the only other potential star on the big league roster, but that's two more than some teams have, and Bubba Chandler could make it a trio by the middle of 2025. Konnor Griffin is arguably the prospect with the highest variance in the top 100, so he certainly could turn into a superstar; however, this system is in a brief down cycle as the big league team is full of the last couple of years of graduates."
Pirates getting crushed in prospect rankings is both good and bad news
The good news about the Pirates ranking in the bottom-third of ESPN's farm system rankings? It means all of their top prospects are already on their Major League roster. The bad news? All of their top prospects are already on their Major League roster. If this team is looking for help in the immediate future – and they should be – that help isn't coming from within.
That's not ideal news for a franchise coming off back-to-back 76-86 seasons that doesn't spend money in free agency. It would be one thing if the Pirates were actually competitive at the MLB level; but when they're not competing in the present or the future? That's a much more serious problem with their draft-and-develop strategy.
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