These were the Pirates' best prospects at each position in April

The first month of the season has officially concluded and there were a lot of strong performances in the Pirates' organization. From Low-A to Triple-A, a handful of prospects got off to hot starts and are pushing for promotions to the next level.

The month of April showed fans a glimpse of the future, which is about all Pirates' fans can really root for during this cold spell. So who should everybody be keeping an eye on moving forward?

These were the Pirates' best prospects at each position in April

Catcher: Omar Alfonzo

Omar Alfonzo, the Pirates top-ranked catching prospect (19th overall) according to MLB Pipeline, is off to a fast start in Greensboro. In April, Alfonzo batted .270 (20-for-74) with three home runs and eight RBI. His OPS reached .872, stemming from a ridiculous on-base percentage of .426.

First Base: Esmerlyn Valdez

Esmerlyn Valdez is an unranked prospect at first base, but the start to his career has been outstanding. That has continued into 2025 as he belted six home runs and five doubles to produce a slugging percentage of .625 to prop up a 1.043 OPS. Valdez also drove in 18 runs to conclude a strong April.

Second Base: Termarr Johnson

Termarr Johnson is a big name in the organization, coming in as the fourth-ranked prospect per MLB Pipeline. With Altoona, Johnson is off to a hot start batting .256 (20-for-78) with three home runs and five stolen bases. He's driven in seven runs and maintained a .760 OPS.

Shortstop: Javier Rivas

Konnor Griffin has been the headline at shortstop in the organization, but Javier Rivas actually had a better April. Rivas belted six home runs and drove in 21 runs. His OPS also reached .915 thanks to a strong .563 slugging percentage. Rivas is very under the radar in the organization, and this month gave him a lot of recognition.

Third Base: Malcom Nunez

Malcom Nunez was previously ranked in the organization after he was acquired from St. Louis back in 2023, but that's no longer the case. Nunez posted an .809 OPS, which was carried by a slugging percentage of .493 (two homers and eight doubles). Nunez could very well be the next to make his major league debut in Pittsburgh if he can keep progressing.

Left Field: Jase Bowen

Jase Bowen is another prospect who is unranked, but is doing a lot of damage to open up 2024. With Altoona, Bowen batted .273 with an .834 OPS. He hit three home runs and four doubles with six RBI and six stolen bases.

Center Field: Mitch Jebb

Mitch Jebb is the 13th-ranked prospect in the organization according to MLB Pipeline, and his hot start is exactly what he needed following a rough 2024. So far, Jebb is batting .284 (19-for-67) with a .402 on-base percentage and nine stolen bases. He has more walks (14) than strikeouts (11) which is an impressive stat that really does not happen in today's age of baseball.

Right Field: Shalin Polanco

Shalin Polanco is the 29th-ranked prospect in the organization per MLB Pipeline and has struggled in his professional career. April was not too bad for him, though, as he posted a .768 OPS with 14 RBI. He built a strong slugging percentage of .484, coming from four home runs, two triples, and two doubles.

Starting Pitcher: Hunter Barco

Hunter Barco, the Pirates seventh-ranked prospect, has been the best pitching prospect by far and was rewarded with a promotion to Triple-A because of it. He tossed 20 2/3 scoreless innings in April, accompanioed by 30 strikeouts and a 0.63 WHIP.

Relief Pitcher: Hunter Furtado

Hunter Furtado is an unranked prospect who has gotten off to a strong start out of the bullpen. Through 11 innings, Furtado finished April with a 2.45 ERA with 17 strikeouts and a 0.64 WHIP.