Rum Bunter's top 10 Pittsburgh Pirates prospects: Where does Konnor Griffin debut?

Number Six: Zander Mueth

Many eyes were obviously focused on Paul Skenes in the 2023 draft. But the second pitcher the Pirates took, Zander Mueth, also deserves some attention. He's a funky right-hander with good stuff and projectability, making him one of the Pirates' highest-ceiling pitching prospects right now.

Mueth made his pro debut in the Florida Complex League, where he pitched 51.1 innings and worked to a 1.58 ERA, 4.14 FIP, and 1.27 WHIP. He held opponents to a batting average around the Mendoza line at .204 while inducing ground balls 49.6% of the time. That also helped him post a home run rate of just 0.35. Mueth struck out nearly a quarter of opponents with a 24.9% K%, but he struggled to limit walks with an 11.6% BB%. Mueth was then promoted to A-Ball Bradenton, and his first two appearances haven't been pretty. He's only pitched 4.2 innings and has allowed two earned runs, striking out just four and walking nine. 

Mueth's primary pitch since reaching Bradenton has been his sinker. This pitch has averaged out at 93.4 MPH with 14.6 inches of arm side run and 21.6 inches of vertical movement, and is considered his best pitch. His mid/upper 80s slider has about 35 inches of drop and grades out as his best breaking offering. His low-spin/mid-80s changeup has averaged out with 37.1 inches of drop and 14.8 inches of break.

However, Mueth's stuff plays up because of his deceptive delivery. He throws from a side-arm arm slot, similar to Tanner Houck or Chris Sale. Mueth releases the pitch about seven feet in front of the mound, which makes his pitches look about one MPH faster out of the hand, making a 94 MPH sinker look like 95-96 MPH.

Mueth is also projectable with good physical traits. He is an imposing 6'6", 205-pound presence on the mound. He also just turned 19 in June. At his size and age, Mueth could definitely add another tick or two of velocity over the coming years, making his already hard sinker look even faster.

While the control/command definitely needs work, there's plenty of time for him to refine both. His stuff, size, and deceptiveness make him one of the highest-ceiling prospects in the system. It will be fun to see what he can do in a full season.