Pittsburgh Pirates Prospects: Checking in on Hitters in the Arizona Fall League

How are the three Pittsburgh Pirates position player prospects who are on the roster for the Salt River Rafters performing in the Arizona Fall League thus far?

The Salt River Rafters are 18 games into their Arizona Fall League season. Through these first 18 games, they own a 9-9 record and have seen three Pittsburgh Pirates prospects be contributors to their lineup.

Today, we will take a look at how these three prospects are performing thus far. Two have been regulars in the lineup, while one has been more of backup catcher/bench player. Also, two of them are hitting the ball well and one is struggling.

All of that said, let's get into it. Also, it should be noted that all of these stats are as of the start of play on October 23rd.

Infielder Jack Brannigan

During the regular season, Jack Brannigan played shortstop, third base, and second base. In the AFL, he has been a shortstop for the Rafters. Despite a strong offensive minor league season in 2023, Brannigan has struggled mightily with the Rafters thus far.

Brannigan has 55 PAs in 13 games played with Salt River. Through those first 55 PAs, Brannigan has hit for just a .188/.291/.417 slash line. He has hit 2 home runs, 3 doubles, and a triple. Brannigan was walked 5 times to go with 21 strikeouts.

Despite his struggles, Brannigan remains one of the more intriguing power hitting prospects in the Pirate farm system. He played 87 games between Low-A and High-A this past season, hitting for a .275/.390/.524 slash line with a 146 wRC+, 14.2% walk rate, 29.9% strikeout rate, and an isolated slugging (ISO) of .249.

Catcher Carter Bins

Carter Bins is the lowest rated prospect of the three position player prospects the Pirates have playing in the AFL this season. Bins was acquired from the Seattle Mariners as part of the Tyler Anderson trade in July 2023, and in many ways has trended toward non-prospect status.

Bins has just 25 PAs in 6 games for the Rafters. While Bins has not had a ton of opportunities, he has taken advantage of the ones he has been given. In his 25 PAs, Bins is hitting for a .304/.360/.652 slash line. He has hit 2 home runs, 2 doubles, walked once, and struck out 8 times.

A strong showing in the AFL is something that Bins was in dire need of. Injuries limited him to just 118 minor league PAs in 2023. Those PAs came in rehab outings with the Low-A Bradenton Marauders and in the Florida Complex League, as well as 25 games played with Double-A Altoona.

In those 118 PAs Bins hit for a .212/.297/.337 slash line with a 77 wRC+, 7.6% walk rate, and a 29.7% strikeout rate. This came after he posted just a 36 wRC+ with Double-A Altoona in 2022 and a wRC+ of 86 with Triple-A Indianapolis.

With his struggles at the plate, as well as some defensive issues, any sort of long-term future with the organization for Bins is certainly up in the air. That said, a strong showing in the AFL will but him in a better spot entering the spring to potentially make the roster for Indianapolis.