Top 5 unranked prospects in the Pittsburgh Pirates' farm system

Jaden Woods

Jaden Woods was one of the many pitchers the Pirates selected in the 2023 draft. The Pirates took the southpaw out of the University of Georgia in the seventh round. Heading into the draft, Woods was considered the 236th-best prospect by MLB Pipeline and 152nd-best by Baseball America. His first extended look in pro ball had its ups and downs, but Woods could be a left-hander in the Pirates’ pen in the near future.

Woods opened the year at Greensboro, where he had a 2.13 ERA, 3.68 FIP, and 1.22 WHIP through his first 25.1 innings of the season. Woods excelled at striking out batters and limiting homers with a 29% K% and an HR/9 of 0.71. His 10.3% walk rate was slightly better than the average in the South Atlantic League.

Woods would go on a hot streak to finish off his time at Greensboro, pitching 12 scoreless appearances in his last 13 games, and earned a promotion to Double-A Altoona. His peripherals did not see a huge change, as he struck out 27% of opponents, had a 10.7% walk rate, a 0.78 HR/9, and a 3.84 FIP. But, above the surface, Woods had an ERA of nearly 5.00 at 4.97. This was because of a huge jump in batting average on balls in play, from .295 at Greensboro to .337 at Altoona.

Woods is a three-pitch hurler and can sit 92-96 MPH with his four-seam fastball when he pitches out of the bullpen. His secondary offering is an upper-70s slider with slurve-like action. He does not use his changeup nearly as often as his four-seamer and slider and it is a below-average offering, especially compared to his first two pitches.

A hot start could put Woods in serious talks for a look in the Major Leagues sometime during the 2025 season. The Pirates currently have just one left-handed reliever currently on the 40-man roster in Joey Wentz. Woods will only be 23 for all of next season and has already shown some promise at Double-A.