Pittsburgh Pirates: Three Hitting Prospects that Must be Better in 2024

The Pittsburgh Pirates have been undergoing a major rebuild over the last few years, stocking their farm system with young talent. They hope these prospects can help lead them back to contention in the coming seasons. Three players who have garnered attention are infielder Malcom Nunez, outfielder Matt Gorski, and catcher Abrahan Gutierrez.

However, each has faced adversity in their development during the 2023 season which has raised questions about their futures. So they need to bounce back in 2024 and prove they deserve spots on the 40-man roster. It will be interesting to see as the offseason plays out if any end up being let go after injuries and struggles pushed their timelines back.

Nunez, Gorski, and Gutierrez all entered the year with optimism after promising 2022 campaigns. All three saw themselves move up the Pittsburgh Pirates prospect rankings. Nunez is the highest ranked of the group at #23 on MLB Pipeline. There were a lot of eyes watching to see if the prospects could take the next steps and get closer to the majors. But injuries and/or poor performance have created some doubt about whether these three can reach their upside and become core pieces of Pittsburgh's next contending club. Their development will be crucial storylines to watch for the rest of this season and into 2024.