Pittsburgh Pirates Prospects 2023 Outlook: Pitcher Justin Meis

Looking ahead to the 2023 season, Pirate pitching prospect Justin Meis will be an intriguing arm to watch

The Pittsburgh Pirates farm system is filled with talented arms. From Quinn Priester and Mike Burrows, to Luis Ortiz, Bubba Chandler, and Anthony Solometo, the future of the Pirate pitching staff looks bright.

One pitching prospect that is not mentioned very often, however, is Justin Meis. The righty is preparing to embark on his age-23 season, and could be an arm that makes noise in the Pirate minor league system in 2023.

The Pittsburgh Pirates selected Meis in the 10th round of their highly touted 2021 draft. While Meis was drafted out of Eastern Michigan University, he is a local product who attended Bethel Park High School.

Last season, Meis pitched in 26 games with 23 of them being starts between Low-A Bradenton and High-A Greensboro. Meis pitched 114 innings between the two levels, posting a 4.11 ERA and a FIP of 4.49. He allowed home runs at a 1.11 HR/9 rate, while walking 9.7% of batters faced, striking out 24.0% of opposing batters, and holding opponents to a .224 batting average.

Also, there is reason to believe that Meis will take a step forward in 2023. Meis struggled in his final start of the season, prior to this he posted a 3.19 ERA in 67.2 innings pitched across his previous 13 starts. He struck out 25.5% of batters faced during this stretch while limiting opponents to a .184 batting average and a home run rate of 1.01 HR/9.

Seeing Meis finish the 2022 season gives confidence for 2023. If he can continue to take a step forward and develop, then Meis could turn into a legitimate pitching prospect in the Pirate farm system.

Looking ahead to 2023, it could be a big season for Meis. While he may start the season back with Greensboro, if he pitches well it should not take him long to ascend to Double-A Altoona and potentially beyond.