Pittsburgh Pirates: Potential Future Top 100 Prospects

Axiel Plaz

Axiel Plaz has already started to get some prospect attention from the mainstream media. Plaz was ranked as one of the Pirates' top 20 prospects by ESPN. While they may not be as thorough in their rankings as FanGraphs, or even MLB Pipeline, the fact that he's getting some attention at least shows that he's trending in the right direction.

Believe it or not, Plaz wasn't even the biggest catch of the Pirates' 2021-2022 international class. We'll talk about that player here in a little bit. Plaz was given a $350,000 signing bonus, which was the sixth highest and tied with Carlos Tirado. Although he was given the sixth most, he produced at a very high level, albeit in a small sample size and at the Dominican Summer League.

DSL stats may not mean all that much in the long term, but you still can't help but be impressed by the numbers Plaz put up. In 86 plate appearances, Plaz batted .382/.500/.706 with a .550 wOBA, and 209 wRC+, meaning he was still 109% better than the league-average batter at this level. Plaz had an impressive 13:16 BB:K ratio and more than half of his hits went for extra bases. He hit 11 doubles, a triple, and three home runs to go along with 11 singles.

Plaz was praised for his defensive ability behind the dish when the Pirates signed him. On top of that, he showed that he could eventually grow into plus power potential. Plaz stands at 5'11", and 165 pounds at just 17 years old. That gives him plenty of time to add strength and muscle to his frame. There were some questions about his hit tool, but at 17, it's not as if he doesn't have time to sharpen up parts of his game.

Even though you should take his DSL stats with a grain of salt, a 209 wRC+ is still nothing to scoff at. Plaz is still young but was one of the better prospects the Pirates got out of their 2021-2022 international class. It should be fun to see how he continues to develop.

Jun-Seok Shim

It doesn't take a scout to see why Jun-Seok Shim may eventually become a top-100 prospect. Not only does he have the potential to appear on top 100 lists across the internet, but he also has the potential to be the Pirates' #1 pitching prospect in the near future. The Pirates' top international signee from the 2022-2023 off-season, Shim should be a fun player to watch throughout the next few seasons.

Ranked as MLB Pipeline's tenth-best international prospect from this past season's class, Shim had the option to enter the Korean Baseball Organization's draft. If he did, he was projected to be one of, if not the top pitcher available. Instead, he chose to go to the United States and lock on with a Major League Baseball team. The Pirates were able to ink the hard-throwing right-hander to a $750,000 signing bonus.

So what made Shim one of Korea's best up-and-coming talents? Well, for one, he's already topping out at 100 MPH at just 18-19 years old. Though he can reel back and hit triple-digits, he typically sits in the 94-96 MPH range, which is still highly impressive for a teenager nonetheless. Shim also has a strong 12-6 curveball. He has a good feel for the pitch, which he throws with a high spin rate. He also throws a slider and change-up. Both right now sit at a below-average level but could definitely develop into two more average offerings. That gives him four pitches that he could rely on.

Although Shim might not be the next Greg Maddux, his command is more developed than your typical teenage flamethrower. Shim has both plus athleticism and good mechanics. This makes his delivery repeatable and helps his command play at a good level.

In my unprofessional opinion, Shim is the closest to making a top 100 list. Shim is a tad older than most of the names we'll look at today. He's already turned 19 and will more than likely at least make his Bradenton debut sometime later this season, even if it's just a brief late-season cameo.

Plus, how many pitching prospects are there who throw in the upper-90s with good secondary offerings, have plus athleticism, clean mechanics, and project to have average to above-average command, and aren't on a top 100 list? Is it too bold to say you may even start to see him on top 100 lists as soon as early next year?

Yordany De Los Santos

Yordany De Los Santos was the Pirates' big catch of their 2021-2022 international signing class. De Los Santos has already started to see a slight improvement in his stock. FanGraphs bumped him up from a 40+ FV prospect to a 45 FV prospect in their pre-2023 rankings. MLB Pipeline included him as the Pirates' no. 29th best prospect after not placing him in their 2022 top 30 prospect list.

De Los Santos wasn't as productive as Plaz at the DSL but still turned in decent numbers. In 234 plate appearances, De Los Santos slashed .258/.372/.363 with a .368 wOBA and 106 wRC+. De Los Santos struck out just under 20% of the time with a 19.2% strikeout rate but also walked at a strong 13.7% rate. Power was a weak point in De Los Santos' stats, as he only had one home run and an ISO clocking in just over .100 at .105. The infield prospect had a 131 wRC+ through his final 134 plate appearances as well.

De Los Santos has a really high offensive ceiling. FanGraphs loves him, based on Trackman and Hawkeye data they gathered. They put both his raw power and game power at a 60-grade. Though his other tools sit at an average to below average level, at least right now. FanGraphs does say that his hit tool is a "hair south of average," but at 18, he's got plenty of time to improve that part of his game.

There's concern about his long-term position. Although the Pittsburgh Pirates signed him as a shortstop, and he is currently an athletic infielder, he may have to move off of short after he fills out his 6'1" frame. He doesn't project to be a plus runner, which could limit his range. The Pirates did see him make some improvements to his defensive game, and he has the arm to stick at shortstop. He'll be given every chance possible to remain at shortstop, though don't be surprised if the Pirates have to move him to third base long-term in the future.

Still, you're looking at a player who has the chance to be an average defensive shortstop but with a ton of raw power and offensive upside. If De Los Santos can continue to make defensive improvements and make his hit tool average or better, this could be a guy with four average to well above-average tools at a premium position.