Gerrit Cole, the first overall pick in the 2011 draft, and the top prospect in the Pittsburgh Pirates’ system, will start the Arizona Fall League’s Rising Stars game, which takes place on November 5th. The game will be broadcast on the MLB Network, with Cole going up against left handed pitcher and fellow 2011 first round pick Danny Hultzen.
Cole has made three starts so far in the AFL, with a 2-0 record and a 3.00 ERA. He’s worked mostly in the upper 90s, and has hit 100 MPH on several occasions in each start. For those that have never seen him in action, this will provide that opportunity, and since it’s the Rising Stars game, he should be going up against some talented hitters.
The remaining roster spots haven’t been announced yet. It would be a surprise if Robbie Grossman was left off the team after his AFL numbers thus far.
Tim started Pirates Prospects in 2009 from his home in Virginia, which was 40 minutes from where Pedro Alvarez made his pro debut in Lynchburg. That year, the Lynchburg Hillcats won the Carolina League championship, and Pirates Prospects was born from Tim's reporting along the way. The site has grown over the years to include many more writers, and Tim has gone on to become a credentialed MLB reporter, producing Pirates Prospects each year, and will publish his 11th Prospect Guide this offseason. He has also served as the Pittsburgh Pirates correspondent for Baseball America since 2019. Behind the scenes, Tim is an avid music lover, and most of the money he gets paid to run this site goes to vinyl records.
Let’s hope and pray he becomes everything he is touted to be….we NEED it!
My prediction: 0-0 after 3 innings ….Grossman 0 for 1 with a walk ,Cole 1 hit 1bb 3k-3innings.