Pittsburgh Pirates: Rum Bunter's Top 10 Prospects

Here is a look at our top ten Pittsburgh Pirates prospects voted on by our writers here at Rum Bunter

Both the trade deadline and draft are well behind us. Because of that, I think it’s time we do another Rum Bunter top 10 Pittsburgh Pirates prospect list. Both the draft and the deadline added more depth to an already fairly deep farm system. It’s considered one of the best in baseball, with Baseball America ranking it at #4 and FanGraphs even going so far as to say they have the #1 system in the sport as of right now.

This list was voted on by our fellow staff writers. This list will consist of who we think are the Pirates’ top ten prospects as of right now. Note that we are leaving out guys like Quinn Priester, Nick Gonzales, or Jared Triolo. Although they technically are still prospects, this list could become outdated before the end of this season, so we are only keeping it to guys who have yet to make their big league debuts. 

Before we get into our top ten, I want to first list some honorable mentions. These guys received some consideration and votes by our staff, however ultimately ended up outside our top 10 list.

Zander Mueth

The Pirates drafted Zander Mueth in the 2nd round of this past July's Draft. Mueth has an excellent pitch repertoire, including a plus sinking fastball that sits 92-95 MPH already, another potential plus offering in his sweeping slider, and a change-up with average potential. Mueth does this all with an arm slot reminiscent of Chris Sale. Mueth does struggle with his command as of right now. But he just turned 18 on June 22nd. He’s a tall, 6’6”, 205 pounds young right-hander. He could very well find himself within the organization's top 10 prospects after a year or two.

Braxton Ashcraft

Braxton Ashcraft was a former 2nd round pick back in 2018. He missed most of 2020-2022, pitching less than 50 innings, missing time because of the canceled season, and having to undergo Tommy John surgery in 2021. Since returning, Ashcraft has been magnificent, working to a 2.39 ERA, 2.85 FIP, and 1.08 WHIP. Ashcraft is averaging out in the upper-90s with some solid breaking and off-speed stuff. But he’s yet to be pushed for more than four innings, and all of his starts at Altoona have only been three frames.

Po-Yu Chen

The Pirates’ top international signee from the 2020-2021 off-season, Po-Yu Chen, is having a quality year at High-A Greensboro. Although he started off the season on the wrong foot, he’s pitched to a strong 3.28 ERA, 4.66 FIP, and 1.25 WHIP over his last 93.1 innings. He’s struck out over a quarter of the batters he’s come across at 26.4% with an 8.6% walk rate and 1.25 HR/9. Chen only hits about 90-93 MPH, and his slider and curveball are average pitches. But he’s shown off good command and a plus splitter.

Jase Bowen

Jase Bowen is the definition of a utility prospect. The only positions he hasn’t played as a pro ball player are shortstop, pitcher, and catcher, though his primary position is outfield. He also is a power/speed threat and currently has home runs, an isolated slugging percentage, and stolen bases. Overall on the year, he is hitting .260/.333/.476 with a 118 wRC+. Bowen does strike out a little more than you’d like, though his ceiling is a 20/20 threat who can play all three outfield positions, as well as second base, third base, and first base.

Mitch Jebb

Mitch Jebb was the Pirates’ second-round pick in 2023. Jebb projects as a hitter who focuses on making a lot of contact and drawing walks at an above-average rate. However, he has little power and might top out at 12 home runs, in a good year. But Jebb is a plus runner who plays average defense in the infield and could potentially see time in center field. So far, Jebb has 18 hits in 93 plate appearances as a pro ball player, along with 12 walks and just 9 strikeouts.

Hunter Barco

The Pirates took Hunter Barco out of the University of Florida during the second round of the 2022 draft. While Barco had a strong final college season, it was cut short in May because of Tommy John surgery. Barco has only recently returned, tossing just 13.2 innings. He’s struck out 21 batters, has allowed just five walks and no home runs yet. Barco sits 91-94 MPH, with a slider and changeup. He also projects to have above-average control/command.

Tony Blanco Jr.

Tony Blanco Jr. isn’t the last player we’ll see from the Pirates’ 2021-2022 international signing class in today's list. Blanco Jr. might just have the most power potential in the Pirate system. At just 18 years old. Blanco is a massive 6’6”, 245 pounds. That’s the same height and weight as Yankee DH Giancarlo Stanton. Blanco Jr. does have some swing-and-miss concerns, but if he can get that down, you might be looking at a guy who could hit .260 and 40 homers a year. Although the Pirates originally drafted him as a corner outfielder, he’s mostly played first base this season. While Blanco might not be a terrible runner now, getting him to work in at first base gets him familiar with a position that he might end up at long term.

Lonnie White Jr.

Lonnie White Jr. was one of the many top high schoolers the Pirates drafted and signed in 2021. In his age-20 campaign, White Jr. has hit .275/.410/.460 with a .414 wOBA, and 137 wRC+ between the Pirates’ FCL affiliate, and Low-A Bradenton. White is one of the best runners in the system and has a plus glove in center field. He might not have a cannon for an arm, though it projects as average. He also has above-average raw power, though his hit tool needs some improvement.

Number 9 - Infielder Jack Brannigan

Jack Brannigan was drafted out of Notre Dame in the 3rd round of the 2022 draft. Although he was originally taken as a two-way player, the Pirates have used him only as a position player. However, he’s been one of, if not the best performing minor leaguer in the Pirate system. 

In 330 plate appearances across Bradenton and Greensboro, Brannigan is batting .273/.382/.531 with a .412 wOBA, and 144 wRC+. Brannigan has hit for a lot of power, demolishing 17 home runs and posting a .258 isolated slugging percentage. He’s also been a threat on the basepaths, going 23-26 in stolen base attempts. Brannigan has walked at a 13% rate but has also gone down on strikes 29.7% of the time.

Brannigan has been on fire since getting to Greensboro. His wRC+ is above 150, clocking in at 158. He’s already hit 11 home runs, topping his Bradenton HR total in 72 fewer plate appearances. The downside is his walk rate (8.5%), and strikeout rate (34.1%) have both moved in the wrong direction. Still, nearly every other metric has gotten better for Brannigan.

Branigan has plus power potential, but the hit tool is in question. Brannigan was throwing upper-90s heaters in college, so he has a strong arm, good enough for the right side of the infield. Speaking of his defense, Brannigan is primarily a third baseman. However, he’s shown such good fielding prowess and athleticism the Pirates have given him multiple reps up the middle.

Brannigan has done very well in his first full minor league season. He’s only 22 and is performing extremely well at Greensboro. Given that Greensboro’s season ends before Altoona’s, you can’t fully rule out Brannigan making his Double-A debut at the tail-end of the year. If Brannigan can cut the strikeouts down slightly, he could become a soon-to-be major league ready infield prospect.

Number 8 - Starting Pitcher Thomas Harrington

Thomas Harrington was drafted as the Pirates’ first round competitive balance pick in 2022. The right-hander posted strong numbers during his last year at Campbell University. So far his first professional season has gone fairly well, and he is becoming one of the Pirates’ best pitching prospects.

Harrington has pitched to a 3.73 ERA, 4.16 FIP, and 1.26 WHIP through 113.2 innings for the Low-A Bradenton Marauders and High-A Greensboro Grasshoppers. The right-hander has a healthy 27.5% strikeout rate, along with a 7.2% walk rate. His 1.11 HR/9 is a tad high, though that’s mostly because he is playing in a home run friendly Greensboro. While his numbers have gotten worse since getting to High-A, some bad luck has played its hand in his struggles.

Opponents have managed a .349 batting average on balls in play against him, a significant uptick from .298 at Bradenton. His BAbip at Low-A is much more sustainable compared to what he’s done at High-A. His HR/9 has also shot up, but again, some of that can be attributed to Greensboro being home run friendly. On the plus side, both his strikeout rate and walk rate have improved at High-A.

Harrington is not a power pitcher, only sitting 91-95 MPH. However, he locates his four-seamer well and it has some carry to it. His best pitch is his changeup, with what MLB Pipeline describes as “tumbling” action. Harrington’s slider is his best breaking offering, though his curveball adds yet another average offering to his arsenal. While he might not have any overpowering stuff, he has outstanding mechanics and athleticism, which has helped him develop his command to a plus level.

Harrington turned 22 on July 12th, so he’s still a fairly young arm. Given some of his numbers at Greensboro, he should debut next season at Altoona. That could very well put him on a trajectory to make his debut in the second half of 2024, that is if he continues to pitch well and stays healthy.

Number Seven - Infielder Tsung-Che Cheng

Tsung-Che Cheng is one of the many top middle infield prospects in the Pirate system. Cheng was signed back in July of 2019. So far, he’s performed well in every year of his minor league career. 2023 has had some down moments, but has mostly been another successful season for the speedy infielder.

Cheng is slashing .294/.368/.478 with a .378 wOBA, and 129 wRC+. Cheng has always been an on-base threat, and he’s walked 10.1% of the time this year to pair with an 18.5% strikeout rate. While he’s never been a power threat, Cheng has hit for a surprising amount of pop. He has 11 home runs through 466 plate appearances and a .184 isolated slugging percentage.

After a red hot start at Greensboro, Cheng was promoted to Double-A. The first month was rough, as he owned just a 42 wRC+ from June 24th through July 27th. However, since then, Cheng has turned things around in a big way. Since July 28th, he is hitting for an outstanding 131 wRC+, as well as an OPS well above .800 (.853), and .378 wOBA. 

Cheng projects in a similar manner to Pirate infielder/outfielder Ji-Hwan Bae. He is a fast middle infielder whose hit tool is his best offensive weapon. Cheng has swiped 24 bases this year but has been unsuccessful a worrying amount of times. He’s gotten caught stealing 12 times. While he has speed, he hasn’t made great decisions on the basepaths. Cheng is also a solid defensive second baseman/shortstop.

The one area that Cheng struggles with is power. He is listed at 5’7”, and around 173 pounds. Cheng’s best bet is to become a line-drive centric hitter. He also needs to keep his walk rate up so he can use his speed to get on base and put himself in a position to score. But I believe he has the talent to do that.

Cheng is only 22, and should start the 2024 season at Triple-A. The Pirate middle infield picture is quite crowded right now, but you can never have enough depth. The Pirates could attempt to give him the Bae treatment and try him out in the outfield. Cheng would be more than fast enough to cover center field. Regardless of his position, Cheng has the potential to be a leadoff hitter for a future Pirates team.

Number Six - Starting Pitcher Bubba Chandler

Bubba Chandler is one of the many high school talents the Pirates took during the 2021 draft. The Pirates originally took Bubba as a two-way player. It took a lot of money to pry him away from his Clemson football commitment. The Pirates and Chandler agreed to a $3 million signing bonus, the second most a third-round pitcher had ever been given, and tied with a few others for the second most any 3rd rounder has signed for. Had it not been for the amount of money and his commitment, there was a very good chance he would have gone in the second half of the first round.

Chandler’s first season focusing solely on pitching has had its ups and downs. In 101 innings, Chandler owns a 4.90 ERA, 4.98 FIP, and 1.51 WHIP. While Chandler is striking out over a quarter of opponents with a 25.8% K-rate, he also has a poor 10.9% walk rate, and unimpressive 1.25 HR/9. Granted, there have been a handful of positives for Chandler, outside of just his quality strikeout rate.

Chandler has done a lot better as of recently. He has a 3.49 ERA, 6.9% walk rate, and 26.4% strikeout rate over his last 59.1 innings (since June 13th). Home runs have still been giving him some trouble with a 1.37 HR/9. Chandler has also gotten unlucky a few times. His .345 BAbip on the year isn’t great. But over this hot stretch, he has a much more manageable .316 BABIP. Chandler is inducing ground balls at a 45.3% rate and has a sub-20% line-drive rate, so I’d expect his numbers to improve going forward.

As stated earlier, Chandler was originally drafted as a two-way player, and this is his first season just pitching. The Pirates tried Chandler as a shortstop and DH for the first two years of his pro career. While he hit five home runs and had a .329 OBP in 161 plate appearances, he also struck out in 35.4% of his plate appearances and batted just .189. Pitching was clearly the thing he was better at, even in high school, so the Pirates have had him focus just on that.

Chandler certainly has the stuff to be a future quality starting pitcher. The right-hander sits mid-90s with his fastball and has a distinct slider and curveball. His fastball projects as a plus pitch, while his curveball and slider are both above average offerings. His fourth offering is a changeup, which he has a feel for and is an average pitch.

Drafted as a shortstop/RHP, Chandler has much more athleticism than the average pitching prospect. He might be the most athletic pitcher in the system. That should help him get his delivery/wind-up and command under wraps as he continues to focus just on pitching. Chandler has a bit of a long arm delivery, which could be negatively affecting his command. But while he might not become Greg Maddux 2.0, but he should be good enough to achieve average command/control. Keep in mind that he has a walk rate well below 10% now for over three months now.

Chandler is also a young pitcher and will turn 21 in mid-September. Given his quality numbers since June 13th, he should start the year at Altoona. That gives the Pirates yet another higher end pitching prospect in the upper minor leagues, and another talented arm that could debut sometime during the season.

Number Five - Starting Pitcher Mike Burrows

Mike Burrows may have already made his big league debut and would be part of the Pirate Major League rotation already. But a Tommy John surgery in mid-April cut his chances of that happening. Still, Burrows was on the up and up going into this year and was looking like one of the Pirates’ most promising prospects.

Burrows ended the 2022 campaign with a 4.01 ERA, 3.29 FIP, and 1.21 WHIP. He struck out 28.2% of opponents, held them to a 7.9% walk rate, and only allowed 0.76 home runs per nine innings on average. Though Burrows’ numbers are a little deceiving. Going into the last game of the year, his ERA was below 3.50 at 3.46, and a FIP of 3.11. He allowed six earned runs on a home run, walk, and no strikeouts while recording two outs. 

That final start may have inflated his numbers, but didn’t change how good he looked throughout the year. Burrows has a nasty fastball and curveball. His four-seamer sits 94-96 MPH, but with plus-plus spin. His curveball has elite-level spin as he can hit 3000 RPM. While his fastball and curveball have always looked good, the development of his change-up would be a major part of his development. At one point, it was a barely used, get-me-over type offering. Now, it might just be his best offering.

Burrows’ return in 2024 will be big for the Pirates. He’ll likely come back sometime around the midpoint of the season. He could (and should) give them another major rotation reinforcement behind many of the other prospects and young pitchers who are coming up.

Number Four - Starting Pitcher Jared Jones

Ben Cherington has drafted multiple high school pitchers throughout his tenure as the Pirates’ general manager. Jared Jones was the first of many. Drafted in the second round of the 2020 draft, Jones has steadily been trending upward, however, he’s made some major strides this season and is now seen as a top-100 prospect by most sources.

The hard-throwing righty started the year off at Altoona where he pitched to a strong 3.39 FIP, 2.23 ERA, and 1.08 WHIP. After greatly struggling with walks early in his career, Jones cut that down to just 8.9% for Altoona. He also kept up a quality 26.3% strikeout rate and allowed just three home runs throughout his 44.1 innings pitched. Because of how well Jones did at Double-A, he was quickly promoted to Triple-A.

Things haven’t gone as smoothly as they did at Altoona. He currently owns a 5.46 ERA, 3.90 FIP, and 1.43 WHIP. His walk rate has gone back up to 10.9%, though he’s still rocking a solid 0.91 HR/9 rate, and has struck out 30.4% of opponents faced. While these might seem like poor numbers, they fall around average, maybe even slightly above average in the extremely hitter friendly International League. Plus keep in mind he just turned 22 on August 6th.

Despite Jones’ so-so numbers at Triple-A, the stuff has looked better than ever. The righty is consistently throwing in the upper-90s. Along with plus velocity, he’s also averaging out with elite spin rate. His slider is also seen as a plus pitch, as he sits with 2500-2600 RPM, however, he’s not just a four-seamer/slider guy who might be a reliever. His changeup and curveball are both decent offerings. His curveball has even more spin than his slider, and his change-up is a spin killer.

The question that was surrounding Jones going into this year was his ability to throw strikes. He’s shown a much improved ability to do so, greatly showing some better control. However his command is lagging behind. Sure, it’s gotten better, though his control outpaces his command right now.

Still, the fact that Jones has been able to produce average to above average numbers at Triple-A in just his age-21 campaign is highly promising. He’s made some very encouraging strides this season. There’s still a chance he debuts before the end of the 2023 campaign. However, even if he doesn’t, the trajectory has been pointing upward for Jones all year. You can add Jones to the potential 2024 Pirate starting rotation.

Number Three - Starting Pitcher Anthony Solometo

Coming in at number three, we have left-handed pitcher Anthony Solometo. Solometo was the unanimous no. 3 prospect in our writer’s vote and one of only two unanimously voted prospects. Solometo is the last and final high school pitcher we’ll mention today, making him our fourth Ben Cherington Era high school arm of today. Solometo, while not possessing the power of Mueth, Jones or Chandler, has arguably the best command in the system, as well as improving velocity and good secondary offerings.

Solometo currently has a 3.17 ERA, 3.56 FIP, and 1.18 WHIP on the year. The southpaw is striking out 27.1% of opponents while having a 9.1% walk rate, and 0.7 HR/9 rate. Solometo’s numbers at Altoona aren’t too impressive, coming in with a 4.33 ERA, 4.10 FIP, and 1.21 WHIP. But he does have a 7.1% walk rate, a major improvement from Greensboro, as well as striking out nearly a quarter of opponents.

While his Altoona numbers might look like he’s not improving, keep in mind that he’s only 20. He was the youngest pitcher in the Eastern League as late as the trade deadline. Solometo doesn’t turn 21 until December 2nd. The fact he’s even at Double-A at this point is a feat in and of itself. Having league average/slightly above league average numbers there is icing on the cake. Plus, he’s only had one, really bad start where he allowed three earned runs in just one inning.

When the Pirates drafted Solometo, he was sitting in the upper-80s/low-90s. Now, he’s sitting comfortably in the 90 MPH range, and even topping out at 95. It’s more of a sinking action fastball. Solometo’s slider is a second pitch with above average potential. His third pitch, a changeup, sits in the low-80s with spin-killing action.

So how is a guy with no elite offering considered the Pirates’ second-best pitching prospect, and one of their top prospects overall? The first reason is everything sits at an above average level. The second reason is his excellent command. Solometo puts the pitch where he wants and with precision. The third reason is his delivery. He throws with a low sidearm arm slot, as well as a big leg kick. Some have compared it to a mix of Mackenzie Gore and Madison Bumgarner. I see some Dontrell Willis mixed in as well. Regardless of the comparisons, it adds deception and throws hitters off balance.

Solometo is generally considered a top 100 prospect by most sources now. He’s looked great this year, and the fact that he could debut before the 2024 trade deadline gives a lot to be excited for. He might not be the hardest throwing, but his command is above anyone else’s right now. 

Number Two - Second Baseman Termarr Johnson

Termarr Johnson is our number one position player prospect, and our second-best Pirate prospect right now. The Pirates signed Johnson for what was a record breaking amount of money at the time, the most a 4th overall pick had been given (the Texas Rangers and Wyatt Langford surpassed that this year). Johnson might not be having the massive season that some may have expected, but he’s still done well and is now at High-A ball after starting the year at Bradenton. There’s a very good chance he is at Altoona before his 20th birthday.

Johnson has played most of his season at Bradenton where he hit .244/.419/.448 with a .414 wOBA, and 141 wRC+. The second baseman went yard 13 times while also walking at an extremely high 21.8% rate. The downside is that Johnson struck out 26.7% of the time. However, he did significantly cut that down as the season went on. An extremely hot month of July earned the infielder a promotion to Greensboro, but the numbers haven’t translated over.

While Johnson has nearly replicated the same walk rate and strikeout rate, he also has just a .194 batting average thus far. But do keep in mind that this is an extremely small sample size. Johnson hasn’t even had 100 plate appearances yet. He’s getting burned by a .231 batting average on balls in play, which could be a result of the small sample size. In Johnson’s defense, he has been much better as of recently, with a 182 wRC+ and OPS over 1.000 over his last 51 trips to the plate. He’s walked 13 times but has also struck out 14 times.

Johnson’s strikeouts are a bit of a surprise. He was praised for his hit tool, as well as his plate discipline, and vision. It was arguably his best tools. Johnson still could be the future .300 hitter some projected, though. The second baseman has hit for plus power, which isn’t a major surprise. He showed off the potential of being a 20+ home run threat. Although the Pirates drafted him as a shortstop, he projects as a second baseman, albeit a solid one. Johnson has also displayed decent speed.

Johnson was one of the youngest top prospects in the 2022 draft. The Pirates took him barely a month after his 18th birthday. Like with Solometo, the fact that he’s at Greensboro is a notable feat. Johnson could very well be a teenager still but at Double-A Altoona next year. For reference of how rare that is, there have only been 18 players over the last five minor league seasons to still be in their age 19 or younger season and receive at least 50 plate appearances.

Number One - Starting Pitcher Paul Skenes

Unsurprisingly, Paul Skenes was the unanimous no. 1 Pirate prospect among the writers who voted. Skenes was probably the most hyped pitching prospect in the draft since Stephen Strasburg back in 2009. Skenes has the potential not only to be an ace, but his ceiling may just be one of the best pitchers in baseball.

In his last season at Louisiana State University, Skenes pitched to a 1.69 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, and an astounding 10.45 K:BB ratio. Skenes struck out a whopping 209 batters in 122.2 innings of work. That’s a strikeout rate of 45.2%. He also dotted up batters, hitting the black with consistency and holding them to a walk rate of just 4.3%. Skenes also only allowed seven home runs, good for a 0.51 HR/9 rate.

Skenes throws hard, very hard. He sits 97-100 and tops out around 102 MPH. As a starting pitcher, that’s not just elite. That’s 80-grade. His slider is another pitch that’s nearing elite levels. While his change-up is by far his worst pitch, that’s only in context of two offerings that might have been the best in the draft. It’s still an above average third offering. Skenes isn't effectively wild either, as he’s displayed plus control and command over his stuff.

The Pirates have put Skenes on a strict innings regiment. He’s only pitched 4.2 innings through 4 starts. He’s looked decent when he has pitched, though they’re being cautious with the flamethrower. He already started 19 games and pitched over 120 innings with LSU, including some 100 pitch outings. It’s probably best he takes it easy until next year.

Skenes is an athletic pitcher as well. The Pirates even offered to let him be a two-way player, as he was a catcher/first baseman/designated hitter at the Air Force Academy before transferring to LSU. He was a pretty good hitter too, batting for a 1.046 OPS and hitting 13 home runs in 182 plate appearances in ‘22. Skenes declined the offer, wanting to only focus on pitching. 

Skenes is the complete package: a great pitch arsenal, good control/command, all the athleticism that you’d need, a low-effort and repeatable delivery, and a strongly built 6’6”, 235 pound frame. There’s a very good chance that Skenes is headlining a Pirates rotation by the 2024 trade deadline, if not before that.