Pittsburgh Pirates Prospects: Three Pitchers Who Could Become Consensus Top 100

Thomas Harrington

The Pirates selected Thomas Harrington 36th overall in the 2022 draft. Harrington ended his 2022 season at Campbell University on an extremely high note, posting an outstanding 2.53 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, and 6.17 K:BB ratio while allowing just a single home run in 92.2 innings. Harrington didn’t make his pro debut until 2023, but when he arrived in Bradenton, he made a great first impression.

The right-handed pitching prospect tossed 39 innings, working to a 2.77 ERA, 3.72 FIP, and 1.10 WHIP. Harrington struck out over a quarter of opponents with a 26.7% strikeout rate but also managed a solid 8% walk rate. Home runs were a non-issue for Harrington, with a 0.69 HR/9 rate. Harrington’s impressive debut at Bradenton earned him a promotion to Greensboro at the turn of June.

Harrington’s first start at Greensboro had its faults, as he allowed six earned runs in only 2.1 innings but also struck out four batters without allowing a walk. However, his second start was flat-out dominant. Harrington tossed seven shutout innings while striking out eight batters. The only base runners he allowed were two singles.

The right-hander isn’t a hard-throwing pitcher, as he averaged out around 91-95 MPH with his four-seamer and sinker at Bradenton (Greensboro does not have pitch tracking data available on Baseball Savant). But he mixes in a strong changeup and above-average slider. His curveball is a fourth offering with average or better potential. Among all his offerings, his fading change-up is his best. Despite lacking elite velocity, Harrington’s fastball carries through the zone. His stuff also plays up because of his strong command.

Harrington could move fast through the Pirate system. He'll turn 22 in just a few days, and is one of the organization's best pitching prospects as of right now. Harrington is definitley making great positive strides, and I wouldn't rule out a late season promotion to Double-A Altoona if Harrington continues to dominate High-A batters the way he did in his most recent outing.