Pittsburgh Pirates Prospects: All Underrated 2023 Lineup

First Base - Josiah Sightler

A fifteenth-round pick, Josiah Sightler was a power hitter for the University of South Carolina. Sightler showed off good pop but also some improvement in his final season in college. First base typically has a handful of overlooked names, but Sightler is arguably the best among the Pirates' un-ranked 1B prospects.

Sightler batted .300/.408/.629 through 201 plate appearances. Sightler is known for his power output, lifting off 15 times. This put him on pace for nearly 45 home runs through 600 plate appearances. He drew walks at a 9.5% rate, and while his 20.9% strikeout rate wasn't all that impressive, was a slight improvement from 2021.

Sightler is a first baseman by trade, but he has played a handful of games in the outfield and has even pitched. Because he's pitched, he certainly has a strong enough arm to play a corner outfield spot. But first base is his long-term home.

At this point, I would rank Sightler over Mason Martin. Sure, Sightler isn't a raw power beast like Martin, but Martin's strikeout rate has trended in the wrong direction since the outset of 2021. Last year, he was terrible outside of a hot April-May. Sure, Sightler isn't free of swing-and-miss concern, but at this point, it's far less than Martin.