Pirates Prospect Update: Thomas Harrington Pitcher of the Month, Nick Yorke arrival

In case you haven't heard, it's been a pretty big week for the No. 6 prospect in the Pittsburgh Pirates' farm system.

Just one day after earning a promotion to Triple-A Indianapolis, right-hander Thomas Harrington was named the Eastern League Pitcher of the Month for his strong performance with Double-A Altoona in July.

Harrington allowed just two earned runs in four starts for Altoona last month, going 2-0 with a 0.70 ERA. He allowed just 15 hits and six walks, while striking out 32 batters and holding opponents to a .170 batting average. The 23-year-old led all Double-A pitchers in ERA (0.70) and strikeouts (32) in July.

Selected No. 36 overall by the Pirates in the 2022 MLB Draft, Harrington allowed two earned runs or fewer in 11 of 13 outings with Altoona this season. His 57 strikeouts since June 1 were tied for the second-most by a Double-A pitcher before his promotion to Triple-A.

Harrington made his Triple-A debut on Sunday, allowing five runs on six hits while striking out four and walking one through five innings of work. He joined fellow Pirates pitching prospect Bubba Chandler, who was also promoted to Indianapolis this past week.

Nick Yorke makes strong first impression in first week with Pirates organization

Harrington wasn't the only "new guy" making noise in Indianapolis this week. Nick Yorke also made a strong impression during his first week in the Pirates’ organization since being acquired from the Boston Red Sox for right-handed pitcher Quinn Priester in a one-for-one swap ahead of the trade deadline.

Yorke is currently riding a nine-game hit streak that dates back to July 25, when he was still playing for Triple-A Pawtucket in the Red Sox system. In five games with Indianapolis, Yorke is 6-for-18 with three doubles and four RBI.

Two of Yorke's three doubles came in Indianapolis' 8-7 extra-innings loss to the Toledo MudHens on Saturday, which also marked his first time playing in left field since joining the Pirates' organization. Yorke had spent his entire minor league career in the infield but began taking reps in left field with Double-A Portland earlier this season to improve his versatility. If he can keep the hits coming, Yorke has a clear path to MLB with a Pirates organization in need of outfield bats.

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