Two potential Wake Forest pitching prospects who should be on the Pirates’ draft radar

Potential Pirates Target: Josh Hartle

If there's one thing that Ben Cherington loves, it's soft-tossing left-handed pitchers. From signing Jose Quintana and Martin Perez to drafting Anthony Solometo and Michael Kennedy, Cherington has a 'type', per se. If Josh Hartle is still on the board during the Pirates' pick in the competitive balance round or in the second round, I could 100% see the Pirates take him as another talented lefty in the organization.

After a strong 2023 season, Hartle has struggled thus far into 2024. He has only pitched 38.1 innings but has a 6.34 ERA and 1.62 WHIP. Hartle has also been home run prone, allowing 1.64 home runs per nine innings on average. His 22.8% strikeout rate is also a downgrade from last season's 33.4% K%. On the plus side, he's still limiting walks with a 7.2% walk rate.

Hartle does not use velocity to overpower batters. His fastball sits in the 90-92 MPH range and tops out at 94. According to Keith Law, he's leaned more into using his cutter this year, a pitch that has shown above-average potential, but his best-breaking offering is his slider. His change-up gives him a fourth average pitch, and according to Joe Doyle of Future Star Series, he has tinkered around with a curveball. He has a chance to have five average or better offerings to work off of.

Hartle has an easy, repeatable delivery and throws a ton of strikes. It's a very simple motion, though he lacks significant deception. Still, he locates his stuff very well. Hartle stands at 6'5"and 210 pounds, so there's definitely a chance he sees a slight uptick in velocity. He'll likely never be throwing fastballs like Paul Skenes or Jared Jones, but maybe sitting closer to 92-94 MPH in the future isn't out of the question.

If there was someone who fits the Ben Cherington mold to a T in this year's draft, it's Josh Hartle. A soft-tossing left-hander whose best weapon is his control is something Cherington loves. Hartle is ranked as a top 30 draft prospect by Baseball America and The Athletic, so it's possible he falls far enough to still be available when the Pirates are selecting at #37. However, with the way he's been pitching, he might fall even further to the Pirates in the second round with the 47th pick.