Ranking Pirates top prospects' likelihood of making impact at 2026 spring training

It's a pretty exciting time to be a Pittsburgh Pirates fan. There are plenty of things to look forward to as the team reports to spring training, ranging from reigning unanimous NL Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes to the new veteran hitters like Brandon Lowe, Ryan O'Hearn, and Marcell Ozuna (and hopefully a new third baseman).

Additionally, there will be quite an influx of top prospect talent present at Pirates camp in Bradenton (the Pirates were just rated as Baseball America's top farm system). This includes a mix of position players and pitchers, and upper-level and lower-level prospects.

Spring training is often when fans get their first real look at their team's top prospects. While multiple of the Pirates' top guys have made their MLB debuts already, that experience is scarce (limited enough that they're still prospect-eligible), and they all have something to prove at spring training this year. Here's a look at the Pirates' top prospects, ranked by their expected impact in Bradenton this spring:

Ranking Pirates top prospects' likelihood of making impact at 2026 spring training

5. Seth Hernandez/Edward Florentino

The 2025 campaign was a great success for both Seth Hernandez and Edward Florentino. Hernandez, a right-handed pitcher, was drafted by the Pirates No. 6 overall in last year's draft (which came with a $7.25 million signing bonus), while Florentino posted a .948 OPS in his first full professional season and is now a consensus top-50 prospect.

The Pirates understandably have high hopes for both players, but this spring likely won't factor into that as neither player was invited to major league camp. That's not an indictment on either player—both are still teenagers, and Hernandez still has yet to make his professional debut—but they could still get into game action, and it'll be worth watching if that happens.

4. Hunter Barco

Hunter Barco also had an excellent 2025 season, which started with the southpaw allowing zero runs across six starts at Double-A Altoona before spending most of the rest of the season at Triple-A. He pitched well enough to earn a call-up to Pittsburgh at the end of the season, where he threw two scoreless relief appearances and picked up his first MLB win.

As things currently stand, Barco has an outside shot at securing the final spot in the Pirates' rotation. He stands to gain from being the top left-handed starting pitching option in the organization at the moment, and while that could change (pending the potential addition of a veteran like Jose Quintana or Tyler Anderson), it is possible that Barco could pitch himself into the team's rotation this spring.

3. Jhostynxon Garcia

While Lowe, O'Hearn, and Ozuna were the biggest names the Pirates added to the lineup this offseason, the first move the team made was acquiring Jhostynxon Garcia from the Red Sox in a swap that sent right-hander Johan Oviedo to Boston. Like Barco, Garcia shone at the upper levels of the minors in 2025 (.810 OPS, 21 home runs) and earned a cup of coffee in the big leagues (1-for-7 in five MLB games).

Also like Barco, Garcia has a lot to prove this spring. He is expected to vie for playing time in left field, but with Ozuna now in the fold, Garcia faces an uphill battle to break camp with the team. That was perhaps the likely outcome anyway, since he is so inexperienced at the major league level, but his potential for plus power, speed, and defense make him one of the more intriguing guys to watch this spring.

2. Bubba Chandler

Chandler's long-awaited MLB debut last season was worth the wait. His triple-digit fastball and multiple plus secondary pitches were on full display as he posted a 4.02 ERA and 0.93 WHIP in his first test against MLB competition (and if you remove his nine-run clunker against the Brewers, his ERA drops to just 1.57).

Chandler is the only player on this list who's already guaranteed a roster spot. After his strong performance to end last season (plus his status as a consensus top pitching prospect in the sport), Chandler will be in the Pirates' starting rotation right out of the gate, alongside the likes of Skenes, Mitch Keller, and Braxton Ashcraft.

1. Konnor Griffin

The other big storyline of Pirates spring training (one that will garner national attention) is Konnor Griffin. The Pirates' first-round pick in 2024 exploded in his pro debut last season, slashing .333/.415/.527 with 21 home runs and 65 stolen bases as he jumped from Low-A to Double-A and became the unanimous No. 1 prospect in baseball.

It was first reported early in the offseason that Griffin was going to get a real shot to be the team's starting shortstop to begin the 2026 season, despite not even turning 20 years old until late April. That may be contingent upon Griffin signing a contract extension, which is always tough to negotiate for a player who has yet to make his debut.

Still, Griffin is probably the Pirates prospect whose performance this spring is the most critical, and with the team yet to address the left side of the infield, he should get every opportunity to earn his spot this spring.