Young Pittsburgh Pirates Prospects With Top 100 Potential

While they might not be top 100 propsects now, these ones have the potential to reach that in the future.
Aug 28, 2022; Phoenix, Arizona, US; West pitcher Zander Mueth (13) during the Perfect Game
Aug 28, 2022; Phoenix, Arizona, US; West pitcher Zander Mueth (13) during the Perfect Game / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
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Estuar Suero

The Pirates acquired Estuar Suero at this year’s deadline. Suero came over from the San Diego Padres along with fellow prospect Jackson Wolf and first baseman Alfonso Rivas for Ji-Man Choi and Rich Hill. Suero is one of the youngest top prospects in the Pirates’ system and is the only 17-year-old listed on either FanGraphs or MLB Pipeline’s top Pirates prospect list.

Suero hasn’t played much professionally. Between 2022 and this season, Suero has just 218 plate appearances to his name. He is batting just .216/.326/.341 with a .326 wOBA and 74 wRC+ in that short sample size. Suero is walking in 12.8% of his plate appearances but has struck out 28% of the time and has just a .124 isolated slugging percentage. Keep in mind that Suero is 17 and already at the Pirates’ Florida Complex League affiliate. Even though that’s the second lowest level in affiliated baseball, Suero is still nearly three years younger than the average pitcher age and about two years younger than his fellow average position players.

Given how young Suero is, there are a lot of possible outcomes for his future. The raw tools are there. Suero stands at 6’5”, 185-LBS. There’s a lot of physical projectability with Suero. He’s already shown off, plus raw power. Suero has plus speed as well, giving him the ever-so-sought-after speed/power combo. According to FanGraphs, he’s also showing a good feel for center field.

Suero might be one improvement away from being a five-tool prospect. His hit tool is really the only tool in his set that doesn’t project as average or better as of right now. Suero reminds me a lot of Oneil Cruz when the Pirates originally acquired him. He is a tall, young, teenage prospect with a whole lot of power/speed potential, but he has some questions about his hit tool in the long run. Suero is still so young that anything is possible. But if Suero can show even some minor improvements in the hit tool department, and after he gets to Bradenton, you might start to see him on top 100 lists.