5 best Pittsburgh Pirates pitching prospects who rely on more than pure heat

Pitch speeds are at an all-time high in baseball. The average fastball sits at 93.9 MPH, compared to just 89 MPH when Sport Info Solutions began tracking pitch velocity. Today’s best pitchers throw flames, and now we’re even starting to see starting pitchers, including starters, able to consistently top out at 100 MPH, like the Pittsburgh Pirates’ very own Paul Skenes.

But some pitchers are somehow still able to get by with a pitch velocity that wouldn’t look out of the ordinary 15+ years ago. A mix of command, movement, good secondaries, and deceptiveness help some hurlers make up for the lack of elite velocity. While the Pirates’ system certainly has its flamethrowers, like we covered last time, they also have some notable pitching prospects who don’t throw nearly as hard.

5 Pirates pitching prospects who succeed without throwing gas

Anthony Solometo

Anthony Solometo’s 2023 was very promising. He made it to Double-A and put up respectable numbers despite being one of the youngest pitchers at his level. After his strong season, he earned the 82nd spot on MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 prospect list at the start of the year. His encore has been marred by underperformance, but at just 21 (turns 22 in December), Solometo certainly still has some potential.

Solometo has only pitched 53.2 innings at Altoona, working to a lowly 6.37 ERA, 5.82 FIP, and 1.58 WHIP. The command for which he was known for hasn’t been as sharp this year, dishing out walks 13.9% of the time. He also hasn’t generated as many strikeouts as before, with a poor 17.3% strikeout rate. His HR/9 of 1.17 may not be awful, but it is still below average compared to the rest of the Eastern League.

Solometo only hits 90-92 MPH on the gun, but he has a strong ability to deceive the hitter by hiding the ball in his motion with a high leg kick and low arm slot. Last year, he topped 95. His best pitch has always been his mid-80s slider. Solometo’s 84 MPH changeup is the final pitch in his three-pitch arsenal.

The young southpaw does not turn 22 until December, and he’s not that far removed from a promising campaign. Hopefully, he returns closer to his 2023 form next season, assuming the Pirates do not trade him.