3 Pirate minor league starting pitchers off to good starts

The Pirates minor leagues are loaded with good pitching prospects. These three pitching prospects are off to very great starts to the season. Let's examine.
Florida pitcher Hunter Barco (12) makes a pitch against Mississippi State during the SEC Tournament
Florida pitcher Hunter Barco (12) makes a pitch against Mississippi State during the SEC Tournament / Gary Cosby Jr. via Imagn Content
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Michael Kennedy, Left Handed Pitcher

Michael Kennedy is another southpaw who was selected in the 2022 MLB Draft. He was drafted out of high school in the fourth round. Kennedy is the 14th-ranked prospect in the Pirates top 30, according to MLB Pipeline. He is currently pitching for the Bradenton Marauders and is having a great start to his first season of full-season ball.

Through six starts, Kennedy has a 3.71 earned run average in 34 innings pitched and has struck out 41 batters. He also has a WHIP of 1.15 and an opponent batting average of .264. Kennedy adds a solid FIP of 2.94 and a strikeout percentage of 30.1%.

Kennedy has made some changes for this season on the mound. Last year, he was very wild, walking guys at an 11.1% rate. This year, he has a very impressive walk percentage of 3.7%. Instead of walking batters, he has allowed them to get more hits off of him. He currently has an opponent batting average of .261, but a season ago, opposing batters hit .171 off of him.

Kennedy is still only 19 years old and has been very successful in his short career. He could be nearing a promotion to Greensboro, but with his young age, the Pirates will be sure to take their time with the development of Michael Kennedy. Regardless, this looks like another solid Draft pick by the Front Office.