Pittsburgh Pirates Breakout Prospect Watch: LHP Tyler Samaniego

While he may be overlooked by many Pittsburgh Pirates fans, left-handed relief pitching prospect Tyler Samaniego could make noise in 2023

When people think of the Pittsburgh Pirates farm system there is likely a wide variety of prospects who come to mind. From Endy Rodriguez and Henry Davis, to Quinn Priester, Bubba Chandler, and TerMarr Johnson, it is a talented group.

One prospect who many fans likely overlook is left-handed pitcher Tyler Samaniego. This is something that needs to begin to change. Samaniego is arguably the organization's top relief pitching prospect, and could be in line to really burst onto the scene in 2023.

Samaniego was selected in the 15th round of the 2021 MLB Draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates. Last season, Samaniego pitched 47.2 innings in 38 relief outings for High-A Greensboro and Double-A Altoona.

In these 38 relief outings the lefty posted a 2.45 ERA and a 3.46 fIP. He walked 10.9% of batters faced, but struck batters out at a strong 25.5% rate. He also limited opposing batters to a .111 batting average, while allowing just two home runs (0.38 HR/9).

Looking ahead to 2023, it could be a big season for Samaniego. While he will likely start the season back with Double-A Altoona, beginning the season with Triple-A Indianapolis should not be ruled out. If Samaniego does start back in Altoona, he should reach Indy early in the season.

With the Pittsburgh Pirates in need of bullpen help, especially left-handed relief help, Samaniego reaching the majors in 2023 is a real possibility. Once he reaches the majors he could quickly pitch his way into being a mainstay in the Pirate bullpen.

Samaniego is a name Pirate fans should monitor closely when checking minor league box scores in 2023. By the end of the season, he could be in the team's bullpen, which would likely be the start of him being a mainstay in the Pittsburgh bullpen for quite awhile.