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Pittsburgh Pirates 2023 Minor League Players of the Year: Double-A Altoona
Who were the best pitcher and hitter for Double-A Altoona in 2023?
Who were the best pitcher and hitter for the Double-A Altoona Curve during the 2023 season?
As we start to put a bow on the 2023 season for the Pittsburgh Pirates we will be recapping each minor league affiliate. Recapping each of the team's minor league affiliates includes taking a look at the best pitcher and hitter for each club this past season.
The next team we will be looking at is the Double-A Altoona Curve. The Curve finished the season just one game under .500 at 67-68. This came thanks to a strong final few weeks of the season and propelled them to a 3rd place finish in the Eastern League Southwest Division. Now, let's take a look at some stand out performers for the Curve this past season by examining their best pitcher and hitter from the 2023 season.
Previous minor league team best pitcher/hitter articles:
- Triple-A Indianapolis Indians
Best pitcher - Sean Sullivan
Now, this does come with some context. Braxton Ashcraft pitched to a 1.35 ERA with the Curve, but only pitched 20 innings at the Double-A level. Bubba Chandler was dominant in his one start with Altoona, and Paul Skenes certainly flashed some dynamic things as well.
That said, we're going to give the nod to someone who spent more than just a few weeks or a few starts with Altoona. The nod for Altoona's best pitcher in 2023 goes to right-handed starting pitcher Sean Sullivan.
Sullivan, who just turned 23 earlier this week, had a breakout season with the Curve. In his first taste of Double-A action, Sullivan posted a 3.88 ERA, 4.16 FIP, 8.0% walk rate, and a 20.4% strikeout rate. He also had a strong home run rate of 1.03 HR/9.
Despite spending some time on the minor league injured list, Sullivan pitched 113.2 innings in 24 appearances, 21 of which were starts. This gave Sullivan a new career high in appearances, starts, and innings pitched.
Looking ahead to 2024, Sullivan will probably start the season back at Altoona. He could join the lines of Skenes, Chandler, Ashcraft, and Anthony Solometo to create one of the best starting rotations in all of baseball. If Sullivan pitches well again in 2024, he could put himself in a position to make his MLB debut at some point next season.
Best hitter - Henry Davis
The 2023 season was a poor one for the Curve offense. This is why Joe Nunnally, despite the work he did to help correct Ke'Bryan Hayes at the plate, was dismissed as Altoona's hitting coach after the season ended.
Even though he had just 187 plate appearances with the Curve and did not play for them after June 3rd, the team's best hitter in 2023 was Henry Davis. Some of this is due to Davis being really good, and some of it is due to how poor the Altoona offense was.
The former no. 1 overall pick mashed to the tune of a .284/.433/574 slash line with the Curve. He posted a 170 wRC+, 17.1% walk rate, 18.7% strikeout rate, and posted a healthy .264 isolated slugging (ISO). As part of his 18 extra base hits Davis hit 10 home runs with the Curve.
After his strong showing with Altoona Davis was promoted to Triple-A Indy with a short stint before joining the Pirates in late June. Davis struggled at times, largely due to a hand injury, but flashed his elite potential at the plate. If the Pirates are going to contend for the postseason in 2024, Davis will be a big reason why.
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