Breaking down Pirates' new Top 30 prospects
Justice delos Santos
@justdelossantosThis story was excerpted from Justice delos Santos’ Pirates Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
Coming into this season, the question regarding the Pirates’ farm system wasn’t whether any top prospects would graduate from prospectdom. The questions were how many prospects would graduate and how the shape of the farm system would evolve.
As we stand, Henry Davis is no longer a prospect. Neither are Carmen Mlodzinski or Luis Ortiz. Endy Rodríguez, Quinn Priester, Liover Peguero and Jared Triolo are still considered prospects, but every member of that quartet could shed that label in the not-too-distant future.
There’s also the matter of the Draft. Paul Skenes, the first overall selection who recently made his first appearance with the organization, is now officially part of the farm system. Other members of his class -- Mitch Jebb and Zander Mueth -- are, too.
With graduations and the Draft in mind, let’s look at the state of the Pirates’ farm system.
Here’s a look at the Pirates top prospects:
Biggest jump/fall
Here are the players whose ranks changed the most from the preseason list:
Jump: Jared Triolo, 3B (Preseason: 18 | Midseason: 11) -- Triolo had an inauspicious start to the season, undergoing surgery to repair a fractured left hamate and missing the first month of the season. Triolo didn’t miss a beat upon returning, posting a .839 OPS with Triple-A Indianapolis across 37 games. He earned his first Major League promotion on June 28 after Ke’Bryan Hayes hit the injured list.
Triolo hasn’t hit for much power. Despite having a respectable .270 batting average and .331 on-base percentage, he's slugging just .287 with a .017 ISO. Hitting aside, Triolo has shown why he won a Minor League Gold Glove at third base. He is already worth one defensive run saved and two outs above average in 29 games.
Fall: Malcom Nuñez, 1B/3B (Preseason: 16 | Midseason: 29) -- Coming into Spring Training, there was a legitimate chance for Nuñez to earn time with the Pirates in 2023. After arriving with the Pirates at last year’s Trade Deadline, Nuñez hit .286/.381/.476 with five home runs for Double-A Altoona, earning a cup of coffee with Triple-A Indianapolis before year’s end. This season, however, has been a step back. The 22-year-old has been limited to 41 games with Indianapolis due to a right shoulder injury. When he’s been on the field, he’s posted a .775 OPS with five home runs in 218 plate appearances across four levels.
New to the list
Here are the players added to the Top 30 from outside the organization:
Impact callup
Jones, RHP (No. 4)
There’s a spot open in the Pirates’ rotation with Rich Hill now a San Diego Padre, and there’s been discussion about who might fill that hole. Yes, Ortiz could get another chance, and recently acquired Bailey Falter could get a shot, but Jones is on the cusp of an opportunity. He’s evolved from a high school thrower in the 2020 Draft to a much more complete pitcher in Triple-A, just days after his 22nd birthday. He’s taken some lumps since moving up to Indianapolis, but he is coming off his best start and his stuff continues to be electric.
Best tools (Players are graded on a traditional 20-80 scouting scale for future tools -- 20-30 is well below average, 40 is below average, 50 is average, 60 is above average and 70-80 is well above average. Players in parentheses have the same grade.)
Hit: 60 -- Johnson (Jebb)
Power: 60 -- Johnson
Run: 70 -- Lonnie White Jr.
Arm: 70 -- Jack Brannigan
Defense: 65 -- Williams
Fastball: 80 -- Skenes
Curveball: 60 -- Priester
Slider: 70 -- Skenes
Changeup: 60 -- Thomas Harrington
Control: 55 -- Skenes (Harrington, Solometo, Michael Kennedy)