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4 Pittsburgh Pirates prospects who are having unlucky (but promising) seasons

Getting unlucky can happen quite often in baseball, but that shouldn't decrease a prospect's value.

ByNoah Wright|
May 24, 2022; Hoover, AL, USA; Jaden Woods pitches for the Bulldogs as Alabama faced Georgia in game one of the SEC Tournament at Hoover Met. Mandatory Credit: Gary Cosby Jr.-The Tuscaloosa News Ncaa Baseball Sec Baseball Tournament Alabama Crimson Tide At Georgia Bulldogs
May 24, 2022; Hoover, AL, USA; Jaden Woods pitches for the Bulldogs as Alabama faced Georgia in game one of the SEC Tournament at Hoover Met. Mandatory Credit: Gary Cosby Jr.-The Tuscaloosa News Ncaa Baseball Sec Baseball Tournament Alabama Crimson Tide At Georgia Bulldogs | Gary Cosby Jr. / USA TODAY NETWORK
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Scott Randall

The Pirates acquired Scott Randall in a small-time trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks for utility man Diego Castillo. The right-hander missed most of 2023 due to injuries, but he is back in action this year and has pitched across four different levels of the Pirates' minor-league system. Although his surface numbers may not look great, Randall has some intriguing peripherals that should definitely be noted.

Randall has a 5.05 ERA in 46.1 innings. He has worked as a swingman, making eight starts in 16 appearances this year. His ERA isn't pretty, but he has a respectable 24% strikeout rate with a walk rate of just 3.6%. His K:BB ratio is 6.57, the third highest among any Pirates' minor-league pitcher with eight or more starts. Randall has also only allowed three homers, resulting in a HR/9 rate of 0.53.

Randall has had some bad luck going his way. He sports an unsightly .343 batting average on balls in play. His ground ball rate is a solid 45.9%, while his line drive rate is under 20% at 19.3%. Randall has an FIP of just 3.01, which is the second-largest gap between ERA and FIP among Pirates minor-league pitchers with 40+ IP. His xFIP is also strong at 3.43.

Randall is already 26, and while he may not be a top prospect, you can't deny the quality peripherals he is putting up. He is already at Double-A and has a chance to play at least one game with every Pirates minor-league team (aside from their DSL affiliates) in one season. 

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