After struggling to stay out of the cellar of the NL Central, the Pittsburgh Pirates have been able to build a top farm system in the MLB. With five prospects being ranked in the top 100 in baseball, the Pirates are on their way back to being a contender in the NL Central.
Top Prospects in the Pittsburgh Pirates Farm System
RHP Paul Skenes
Viewed as the best pitching prospect since Stephen Strasburg, Skenes went number one overall in the 2023 draft to Pittsburgh. He immediately became the top prospect in the Pittsburgh Pirates farm system. Along with this came being ranked number three in the top 100 in baseball.
Skenes could go 12-2 in his draft year at LSU with a 2.05 earned run average and 209 strikeouts. He only gave up 23 earned runs in just over 122 innings pitched.
His arsenal of pitches includes a fastball that sits between 98-102 miles per hour and has been almost impossible to hit at every level of baseball he’s played. Mixed in is an 85-89 mile per hour slider that has forced many swings and misses. Lastly, he has an 88-93 mile per hour changeup.
Viewed as a top-of-the-rotation pitcher, Skenes has been able to work his way through the minor ranks quickly since being drafted. So far, he has been able to jump from rookie ball to Double-A. In two starts between rookie ball and High-A, Skenes has pitched four innings, giving up one total hit and striking out five batters.
Skenes is projected to push for a rotation spot in Pittsburgh as soon as the 2024 season.
2B Termarr Johnson
Viewed as the top high school hitter in the 2022 draft, Johnson was selected by the Pirates at number four overall. He has been able to slot himself as one of the top players in the Pittsburgh Pirates farm system and baseball. Johnson sits at number 23 in the top 100 for the 2023 season.
He possesses top-end hand-eye coordination with good plate discipline at the plate. He can also drive the ball to all parts of the field as a left-handed hitter. Despite his height (5-8), Johnson is viewed as a player with the potential to hit 25 home runs a season. He has been able to hit 17 home runs this season.
But, at the plate, he will need to improve his batting average, which has dropped to .239 on the season for 2023.
On the defensive side of the ball, Johnson is a good fielder but moved to second base because he has only an average arm.
C/1B Endy Rodriguez
Acquired in 2021 in a three-team trade with the New York Mets, Rodriguez has quickly moved up the minor league ranks and taken over as one of the top prospects in the Pittsburgh Pirates farm system. He is ranked number 42 in the top 100 prospects.
The switch-hitting Rodriguez can show a good approach from both sides of the plate while drawing walks at an 11.4% rate in two seasons in the minors. He has also been viewed as a player with above-average power but has taken a step backward this season in power. He has only hit eight home runs this season compared to 25 last season.
Defensively, many have looked at Rodriguez as a player who can move around position-wise due to his athleticism but has been able to stick at the catcher position for most of his career.
He also earned his call-up to the major leagues in July 2023 and has put up a .253 batting average with two home runs and eight runs batted in while playing in 31 games.
RHP Jared Jones
Coming in at the number 75 spot in the top 100 prospects, Jones was a second-round pick by Pittsburgh in 2020. He has quickly become one of the top pitching prospects in the Pittsburgh Pirates farm system.
Viewed as a power pitcher, Jones has been able to work on his command and efficiency while on the mound. He holds a fastball between 96-99 miles per hour and is seen as an above-average to great pitch. Mixed in with the fastball are above-average slider and curveball pitches and a high 80s changeup.
Jones has improved in multiple stat areas from last season, including limiting opponents to a .220 batting average compared to .246 last season. But his walk rate could be on pace to match or be worse than last season.
Jones could be pushing for a spot in the Pirates rotation in the next year or two if he continues to improve as he has so far in his career.
LHP Anthony Solometo
The Pirates drafted the number 90 ranked prospect, Solometo, in 2021. He is the top-ranked left-handed pitcher in the Pittsburgh Pirates farm system.
He has three pitches that can feed off each other. This includes a low 90s fastball and mid-80s slider and changeup. His fastball and slider are above-average rises. Solometo can command each of these pitches very well.
In 2023, his record could be better at 4-7. But Solometo has struck out 108 batters in just over 97 innings.
With the young players in Pittsburgh and these prospects, the Pirates could make some significant noise in the NL Central reasonably soon.
Main Photo Credits: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
