Pittsburgh Pirates Prospects: Rule 5 Daft Decisions Loom Ahead of Deadline

Right-Handed Pitcher, Braxton Ashcraft

Following a dominant season across High-A and Double-A in 2023, the 23-year-old pitcher seems to be the most likely prospect to be added to the Pirates 40-Man roster. Since joining the Pirates, Ashcraft struggled early on in his minor league career, but took tremendous strides during the 2023 season. After being promoted from High-A Greensboro to Double-A Altoona, Ashcraft posted a 1.35 ERA, 1.88 FIP, and a 0.95 WHIP across 20 innings pitched and 8 starts. Ashcraft struck out 29.1% of the batters he faced, only walked 5 batters, and didn’t allow a single home run with the Curve.

Considering that Ashcraft has barely pitched over the last few years, the Pirates have been very careful with the amount of innings he’s been pitching, which explains why he has barely pitched extensive innings per start this season. According to MLB Pipeline, Ashcraft is listed as the organization's no. 12 prospect and it would be a tremendous shock if he is not protected from the Rule 5 Draft. If Ashcraft is not protected, it would be highly likely that he gets selected by another team in the upcoming Rule 5 draft.

Infielder Tsung-Che Cheng

Another prospect that could potentially be added to the 40-Man roster is 22-year-old infielder, Tsung-Che Cheng. Known for his contact ability, solid fielding ability, and extreme athleticism and versatility, Cheng has the tools and a high ceiling which could earn himself a 40-Man spot. Before the 2023 season, Cheng played for Chinese-Taipei in the World Baseball Classic and got to showcase himself in front of world. Like Ashcraft, Cheng was also promoted to Double-A Altoona following a dominant stint in High-A Greensboro, where he hit .308/.406/.575, with 9 home runs, drove in 31 RBI, and had a 163 wRC+ across 254 plate appearances. Cheng also stole 13 bases, walked 13.8% of the time at the plate, and was great defensively.

While Cheng’s stats with the Curve aren’t as impressive as his High-A stats, there is still a lot to like. In Double-A, Cheng’s stats had a noticeable drop off, hitting .251/.304/.352, with 4 home runs, drove in 25 RBI, and had an 80 wRC+, a massive drop off compared to his High-A stint. Cheng also stole 13 bases with the Curve, but struggled to get on base, and struck out 18.9% compared to walking 6% of the time at the plate. Even with his struggles, Cheng is currently the no.18 prospect in the Pirates farm system according to MLB Pipeline.

Due to the Pirates having a long list of young infielders like Nick Gonzales, Jared Triolo, Liover Peguero, Ji Hwan Bae, and others competing for playing time, this could lead to the Pirates not adding him to the 40-Man roster. Cheng is a definite wild card option and could be left off the 40-Man, but I think it would be a mistake to not protect the young infielder.

Honorable Mention: Outfielder Jase Bowen

Another wild card option that the Pittsburgh Pirates could protect is 23-year-old outfielder, Jase Bowen. After an impressive 2023 campaign in High-A Greensboro, Jase Bowen rose up prospect rankings and quickly became a Top 30 prospect in the Pirates farm system. In High-A, Bowen hit .257/.333/.469, with 23 home runs, drove in 88 RBI, stole 24 bases, and had a 117 wRC+ across 493 plate appearances. Bowen also struck out 24.5% and only walked 7.1% at the plate, so he did struggle in those spots. However, his elite athleticism, versatility, and base stealing ability (like Cheng) is something to strongly consider having on this Pirates 40-Man roster.

Bowen had a brief stint in Double-A Altoona, but it was nothing compared to his dominant campaign in the Arizona Fall League, where Bowen posted a .290 batting average and had a .855 OPS across 25 games. Bowen is still pretty raw as a prospect and it is potentially unlikely that he will be added to the 40-Man, but it is something that Ben Cherington should take into consideration before the deadline.

While these three prospects are impressive, one thing to consider is that they are all very inexperienced at the Double-A level and still need to develop against better competition. Other prospects that are Rule 5 eligible like Malcom Nunez, Maikol Escotto, Matt Frazier, Matt Gorski, and others, have a slim to none possibility of being protected, but anything is possible. All we can do now is trust in Ben Cherington’s decision and see who he decides to add and leave off the 40-Man roster before tonight’s deadline.