No, it's not an April Fool's joke — another one of the Pittsburgh Pirates' top pitching prospects is headed to The Show.
According to a report from Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Pirates are set to promote right-hander Thomas Harrington to the Majors for a Tuesday start against the Tampa Bay Rays. Harrington is not yet on the Pirates' 40-man roster, so a corresponding move will need to be made before the club can officially select his contract.
Selected by the Pirates in the second round (No. 36 overall) of the 2022 MLB Draft, Harrington is Pittsburgh's No. 3 ranked prospect and the No. 79 prospect in baseball, according to MLB Pipeline. Despite a rotator cuff injury that cost him some time last season, the 23-year-old had a breakout 2024 campaign that earned him a promotion to Triple-A Indianapolis in August.
Harrington boasts a deep pitch arsenal featuring an above-average slider, a cutter, a curveball and a fastball that tops out at 95 mph. He has excellent command, walking just eight batters in 46 innings at the Triple-A level last year and accumulating just a 6.1% walk rate across all levels of the minors.
Pirates quickly reverse course on top pitching prospect Thomas Harrington with promotion, Tuesday start
Harrington posted a solid 3.33 ERA across eight Triple-A starts last year, elevating his candidacy to make his big league debut in 2025. When Jared Jones landed on the 60-day injured list to start the season, Harrington was in the mix to claim the fifth rotation spot but ultimately lost out to converted reliever Carmen Mlodzinski.
Sources: The Pirates are promoting RHP Thomas Harrington from Triple-A Indianapolis. The No. 79 prospect in baseball per MLB Pipeline will start for them tonight against the Rays.
— Noah Hiles (@_NoahHiles) April 1, 2025
Mlodzinski struggled in his first start of the season, surrendering four runs on seven hits and two walks in 3 ⅔ innings of work during Pittsburgh's 6-1 loss to Tampa Bay on Monday.
Whether Harrington's debut on Tuesday is a spot start or a more significant big league opportunity remains to be seen, and perhaps that will be dictated by his performance on Tuesday. A strong showing against the Rays could earn Harrington a more permanent rotation spot while Jones rehabs his elbow injury and send Mlodzinski back to the Pirates' struggling bullpen.