Pittsburgh Pirates Prospects 2023 Recap: Anthony Solometo Hits Some Snags at Double-A

Anthony Solometo encountered some struggles with Double-A Altoona in 2023, but he reamains one of the Pittsburgh Pirates best pitching prospects

Lefty Anthony Solometo is one of the most highly thought of prospects in the Pittsburgh Pirates farm system. Last season, he reached the Double-A level for the first time in his professional career but ran into some struggles.

With the Curve, Solometo pitched 51.2 innings in 12 starts. He posted a 4.35 ERA, but his FIP was just 3.84. He walked just 6.5% of batters faced while striking out 23.0% of opposing batters. Solometo allowed 6 home runs (1.05 HR/9) with the Curve, while limiting opponents to a .245 batting average.

However, Solometo was just 20-years-old during his time with the Curve last season. This made him one of the youngest pitchers in the Eastern League. So, that should certainly be taken into consideration when grading his performance with Altoona.

Prior to joining the Curve, Solometo pitched 58.2 innings in 12 starts with High-A Greensboro. Solometo posted a 2.30 ERA, 3.14 FIP, 10.7% walk rate, and a 29.1% strikeout rate in these 58.2 innings of work. He allowed 2 home runs (0.31 HR/9), while limiting opponents to a .206 batting average.

Looking ahead to 2024, Solometo will start the season back with Altoona. He and Bubba Chandler should form one of the best 1-2 punches in all of Double-A, and that goes without acknowledging that Paul Skenes could also start the season at Double-A.

Solometo will be a prospect worth following in 2024. His funky delivery can make him hard to hit, but his staff can also be flat, lack effective movement, and be easy to hit at times. If Solometo can find more consistency in 2024, he will likely solidify himself as a consensus top 100 prospect.