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Pirates to Call Up Gregory Polanco

The Pittsburgh Pirates will finally call up top prospect Gregory Polanco tomorrow, according to Tim Williams of the blog Pirates Prospects. Polanco came into the season as the 12th best prospect in all of baseball according to MLB.com, and was recently ranked third on Keith Law of ESPN’s list. Easily the crown jewel of the Pittsburgh farm system, in 57 Triple-A games so far this season Polanco has crushed the ball to the tune of .351/.410/.547. He has also hit six home runs and swiped fourteen bases.

The Pirates desperately need a shot in the arm on the offensive side of things, and hope Polanco can help them. The Pirates have been using Travis Snider, Josh Harrison, and Jose Tabata in right field, and have not had much offensive production from either of them. Polanco figures to wrest away the starting job, and help form what may be the best outfield in baseball alongside Starling Marte and Andrew McCutchen. Polanco will in all likelihood replace Josh Harrison as the leadoff hitter, as his natural speed and high on-base potential make him an ideal table setter for Neil Walker and McCutchen.

The fact that Polanco is only coming to the big team now is something of a controversy. The Pirates have failed to consistently score run this year, and after a report that the Pirates offered him a $25 million dollar contract during spring training indicated that GM Neal Huntington thought he was ready for the show, Pirates fans and the media alike have been calling for Polanco in PNC Park. However, it appears that the future is now for Polanco.

Polanco will be looked to to provide fire for the Pirates to make a run in the incredibly competitive NL Central, currently led by the Milwaukee Brewers and St. Louis Cardinals. There is a lot of pressure in Pittsburgh to follow up on their unexpected run to the postseason. With Polanco’s call-up, the new top prospect in the Pirates system is pitcher Jameson Taillon, who is currently recovering from Tommy John surgery.

 

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