Pittsburgh Pirates Prospects: Potential Future Position Changes

The Pittsburgh Pirates have a few prospects who may have to move positions in the near future to accommodate not only their own skill but also other players in the farm system

Prospects change positions all the time. Most second basemen were shortstops, many third basemen were also shortstops, and nearly all first basemen played other positions as an amateur in college, high school, or in their home country, or in the first few years of their pro career. There are also a handful of outfielders who were once infielders.

The Pittsburgh Pirates have a deep farm system, ranked number one by FanGraphs but also number two by MLB Pipeline and number four by Baseball America. With the number of prospects coming up through the system, there will surely be a few notable names who will move positions for one reason or another. The Pirates may have someone filling that role right now, or their skills would be better used at another position.

With that, I want to look at some prospects who could change their position before making it to the big leagues. Note that I am not considering moving from center field to left or right field as a position change.

Mitch Jebb

Mitch Jebb was the Pirates’ second-round pick of this year’s draft. Selected out of Michigan State, Jebb posted some very interesting numbers throughout his college career. In his last two seasons, Jebb batted .345/.447/.503. While Jebb only had seven homers and a .159 isolated slugging, he also walked (70) much more often than he struck out (44). He got a ton of hits and walks, leading to a healthy OBP and BA. Jebb also showed off his speed, swiping 34 bases, albeit also getting caught a dozen times.

Jebb carried this high-contact/walk approach into his first handful of professional plate appearances, Jebb slashed .297/.383/.398 with a .373 wOBA and 116 wRC+. Jebb, once again, showed off an outstanding ability to prevent strikeouts and draw walks. He drew a base on balls 11.1% of the time while striking out in less than 10% of his plate appearances (7.2%, to be exact). He only hit one home run and an ISO just two ticks above .100, but having an OBP approaching .400 will make up for that.

Jebb is a great runner and became one of the fastest players in the Pirate system the moment they signed him. Jebb stole 38 bases in 147 college games, then swiped 11 more in 12 attempts as a professional ball player. The infielder was ultra-aggressive in the Cape Cod League, going 26-35 in stolen base attempts.

Although the Pirates drafted Jebb as a primary shortstop, he split his time almost evenly between short and second base. He has the range and projects as an average defensive shortstop, though his arm plays better at second base. Jebb also played a handful of games at the hot corner in the Cape Cod League. With his elite speed, some have thrown the idea of him in center field.

Jhonny Severino

Jhonny Severino was one of the prospects the Pirates acquired at the trade deadline. The Milwaukee Brewers sent him Pittsburgh’s way in a one-for-one swap for first baseman Carlos Santana. Severino has a high offensive ceiling, but given how he projects physically, there’s a chance his current position doesn’t remain his final position.

Severino only stepped to the plate 61 times this year, collecting 15 hits. But of those 15 hits, eight went for extra bases. A third were home runs, two more were doubles, and he added a triple to his line. Although he only struck out 11 times, he drew two walks. It is a small sample size of less than 100 plate appearances, so take it for what you will.

The infielder projects to have plus power in the future. However, his hit tool is fringy, which could impede his power production. Still, at just 18 years old, there’s plenty of time for Severino to improve his game. Plus, he cut his strikeout rate down from 27.8% in 2022 in 198 plate appearances to below 20% this season (again, albeit in a much smaller sample size). Severino drew comparisons to Miguel Sano, another slugger who was signed as a shortstop but moved to third base.

Severino, like most position players signed internationally, is primarily a shortstop. He’s seen some games at third base, as well as second base, but as of right now, the left side of second base has been his main position. Severino has shown some defensive prowess and a strong arm, but he’s already considered a fringe-average runner a few years before his 20th birthday. There is major concern about how his speed will develop long term and if he will be able to stick at short.

If Severino must move off of shortstop, third base also seems like a potential destination for him. His arm would be wasted at second base, so third is still possible. If third base is still occupied if or when he makes the Majors, he might also see time in a corner outfield spot. Again, this would let the Pirates utilize Severino’s strong throwing arm.

Jack Brannigan

Jack Brannigan was part of the Pirates’ 2022 draft class. Picked out of Notre Dame in the third round of the draft, Brannigan was taken as a two-way player, one who had big power potential but also a blazing, upper-90s four-seam fastball. The Pirates likely aren’t planning on using Brannigan on the mound regularly, though his position on the infield could vary because of how talented of a defender he is.

In Brannigan’s first professional season, he was one of the Pirates’ best minor league hitters. Through 374 plate appearances between Bradenton and Greensboro, Brannigan batted .275/.390/.524 with a .415 wOBA and 145 wRC+. Brannigan showed off his big power potential, mashing 19 home runs while having an ISO just below .250 at .246. Brannigan was also a threat on the base paths, going 24-27 in stolen base attempts. He was an extremely patient batter, drawing walks in 14.2% of his plate appearances. However, this doesn’t come without any concern. Brannigan also struck out nearly 30% of the time (29.9% to be exact).

Brannigan was on fire from the start of July through the end of the season. His final 205 plate appearances yielded an astounding 1.007 OPS, .439 wOBA, and 165 wRC+. His isolated slugging percentage was approaching .300 at .297. He struck out in 30.7% of his plate appearances, but he also had a 12.2% walk rate and was on pace for nearly 40 home runs in 600 plate appearances.

Brannigan’s primary position is third base, but he’s shown to be a great defender at the position. Both MLB Pipeline and FanGraphs praise his defensive chops at the hot corner, with the ladder being more bullish. With an arm that was able to fire upper-90s heaters in college, his throwing ability is pushing into elite territory. Brannigan has also displayed average speed.

So far, most of the guys we’ve looked at might end up at a different position because they might outgrow their primary spot right now, might be filled by the time they reach the big leagues, or simply don’t have the defensive chops to remain at a premium position in the long run, and will have to move down to a less demanding position. This is a rare case where a player might move up the defensive spectrum.

Brannigan has already played a handful of games at both second base and shortstop. He actually played more shortstop than third base during his time at Greensboro. He only played 87 games in total (including 39 at High-A), but the Pirates seem to be confident in Brannigan’s ability to handle short. Now that Brannigan is focusing solely on playing the field, maybe next season could be his chance to really hone his skills at shortstop, and play the position full-time, possibly at Altoona.