Pittsburgh Pirates: Three Players Set to Benefit From a Full Season

These three 2021 draftees will benefit the most from playing a full season with Pirate minor league affiliates in 2023

The Pittsburgh Pirates' 2021 draft class was one of the best they've had in a while. With their draft strategy, they were able to land five players who were considered top 100 draft prospects. Overall, this draft class is one of the main reasons the team's farm system is as strong as it is. Of the top prospects FanGraphs ranks in the Pirates' system, seven are from their 2021 draft class (including un-drafted free agent Nick Dombkowski).

However, many of their picks were over-slot youngsters, guys who were fresh out of high school. They've yet to play a full season, mostly seeing time at the lower levels of the minor leagues, such as the FCL and DSL. Next year, you could start to see many of their young draft picks start to see a lot more playing time, but these three could benefit the most from an extended look.

Lonnie White Jr.

The second player from the 2021 draft we'll look at today is Lonnie White Jr. A prep outfielder from Las Vegas, the Pittsburgh Pirates used their competitive balance pick to select White. Talented and athletic, White Jr. has the potential to become one of the Pirates' best outfield prospects by the end of the year. But he does come with some risk that makes him a bit of a wild card.

When White Jr. has been healthy enough to play, he's been fairly effective with the bat. He only has 40 plate appearances to his name, but has hit .263/.300/.579. Of his ten hits, six have gone for extra bases (three doubles and three home runs). But where White has struggled has been with his plate discipline. He's struck out 17 times with just two walks; a 42.5% strikeout rate, and a 5% walk rate.

The former Penn State wide receiver commit has the tools that point to a plus power hitter in the future. His swing creates leverage in his 6'3", 215-pound frame. He should also remain in center field long term. He's exceptionally fast, with MLB Pipeline considering him a 70-grade runner with 60-grade fielding. However, the red flags are clear. He has swing-and-miss in his game and, as indicated by his small sample size, has struggled to draw walks.

White Jr. was injured for part of last year. Had it not been for this injury, he may have ended up seeing some time at Bradenton at the tail-end of the minor league season. Although White Jr. has some issues he needs to fix and improve upon, he just turned 20 on December 31st. White Jr. should be a regular fixture in Bradenton's outfield next season. If he displays the kind of power that could hit 20 home runs, the speed to swipe 30+ bases, and potential Gold Glove fielding, look for him to shoot up prospect lists.

Bubba Chandler

After the Pittbsurgh Pirates selected Solometo and White Jr., they then went on to pick Bubba Chandler. Chandler was one of the most talented high schoolers in the draft. A two-way player who had a football commitment to Clemson, Chandler fell to the third round because of signability. Many had him as a top 20 pick and top 15 talent.

Chandler only pitched 41.1 innings last year between the Pirates' Complex affiliate and their A-Ball affiliate, but he did quite well. He worked to a 2.61 ERA, 3.85 FIP, and 1.23 WHIP. Chandler struck out a whole lot of batters. Batters struck out at a 34.7% rate against him, and he also kept the ball in the park. Chandler had a 0.65 HR/9, but where he struggled was limiting walks (16.2% walk rate).

Although the Pirates drafted Chandler as a two-way player, he's looked much better on the mound. That still doesn't mean he has zero potential as a batter. In 124 plate appearances, Chandler posted solid numbers, including a .196/.331/.382 line, a 16.1% walk rate, and a .186 isolated slugging percentage. This all adds up to a 104 wRC+. While that only makes him a slightly above average hitter, and he still struck out nearly a third of the time (33.1% strikeout rate), you tell me how many pitchers hit semi-regularly, walk over 15% of the time, and have an isolated slugging percentage approaching .200.

The right-hander was averaging out in the mid-to-upper-90s on the mound. Aside from his fastball, he also throws a power curve in the upper-70s. His slider hasn't been used as often, but it's still a pitch that has flashed above-average potential when he has used it. He also features the occasional change-up, another offering he has a feel for. All of his pitches have distinct speed ranges as well.

One thing I think a lot of fans overlook is his athleticism. The Pirates drafted him as a two-way player at pitcher and shortstop, which is considered the most athletically-needed infield position. Chandler has made some very nice plays off the mound, but he can use that athleticism to his advantage in other ways. It could also help his longevity, stamina on the mound, and ability to command the ball in the future. FanGraphs projects him to grow into 55-grade command eventually.

Chandler should start the year at Bradenton next year but could eventually work himself into playing time at High-A Greensboro. He and Solometo have a very good chance of being a consensus top 100 prospects by the end of the year. Even if he only produces similar results with his bat, he's more than a good enough pitcher to make up for it.