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

These three Pittsburgh Pirates prospects are having great seasons and could be on there way to becoming consensus top 100 prospects

Going into the 2023 season, the Pittsburgh Pirates had a decent amount of pitching talent, but much of that was in the low levels of the minor leagues or had yet to have a chance to fully establish themselves. Aside from Quinn Priester, Mike Burrows, and Luis Ortiz, the Pirates were hoping that some of their young arms could rise to the occasion and join them in becoming potential top-100 prospects.

The Pirates have certainly seen a handful of minor league players step up and become better prospects. By the end of the year, some of these names might become top 100 prospects, and today, I want to focus on three pitching prospects who have certainly gained enough traction in 2023 to where they’re on pace to get on most top 100 lists.

Jared Jones

Jared Jones was the Pirates’ second-round pick in 2020. An over-slot high school draftee, Jones had a big fastball and high-end talent coming out of La Mirada High School. Jones’ first two pro seasons had their ups and downs. In his rookie season, he posted some solid results at Bradenton but ran into bad luck. He cut down on the walks the next season at Greensboro, but his other numbers moved in the wrong direction. But now, at Altoona, it seems like Jones has put it all together.

In 40.2 innings, Jones owns a strong 2.21 ERA, 3.55 FIP, and 0.98 WHIP. How Jones would handle walks as a professional would be a big make-or-break point for the right-hander. But as of now, he has a walk rate just below 9% at 8.1%. Jones has a healthy 25.6% strikeout rate while only allowing three home runs all year.

Jones’ stuff was never in question. He still averages out in the mid-upper-90s with a plus-plus spin. He also has a plus-plus slider while mixing in an average curveball and change-up. However, his control has gotten significantly better season after season. He first had an 11.3% walk rate but is now below 9%. However, command wise, Jones still gets inconsistent. Both are trending in the right direction. However, his control is far out ahead of his command.

Jones has already gotten some early top 100 attention, with Baseball America putting Jones at the tail-end of their recently updated top 100 prospect list. Jones came in at no. 91 but certainly could rise from there. Other lists, such as Baseball Prospectus, MLB Pipeline, and FanGraphs, could soon add Jones to their top 100 lists. He’s certainly trending in that direction.

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.