Just over three weeks into the minor league season, we take a look at players in the Pittsburgh Pirates’ system that are among the top ten in offensive and pitching categories for their league.
For the International League, Steve Lombardozzi is second in batting average at .378, second with a .459 OBP and sixth with a .959 OPS. He’s also second with nine doubles and fourth with 28 hits.
Deibinson Romero is second in slugging at .604, tied for fifth with a .437 OBP and third with a 1.040 OPS. He’s also tied for third with four homers, tied for third with 13 walks and fifth with 15 RBIs.
Gorkys Hernandez is tied for second with 14 runs scored, tied for third with 13 walks and tied for fifth with six steals.
Alen Hanson is tied for third with seven steals.
On the pitching side, Wilfredo Boscan is sixth with a 1.50 ERA.
Adrian Sampson is second with 31 strikeouts.
Nick Kingham is fourth with 29 strikeouts.
Casey Sadler is tied for fifth with a 1.00 WHIP.
In the Eastern League, Josh Bell leads with a .373 batting average, he’s second with a .434 OBP and tenth with a .900 OPS. He also leads with 28 hits and is tied for third with two triples.
Max Moroff is tied for seventh with 11 walks and tied for eighth with 12 runs scored.
Keon Broxton is tied for third with two triples, tied for eighth with 23 hits and tied for ninth with six doubles.
Zack Dodson leads the league with an 0.00 ERA and he’s third with an 0.78 WHIP.
Angel Sanchez is second with an 0.40 ERA and he’s first in WHIP with an 0.66 mark.
Tyler Glasnow is third with an 0.79 ERA. He is seventh with 24 strikeouts and fourth with an 0.79 WHIP.
Chad Kuhl is tenth with a 1.64 ERA.
In the Florida State League, Jin-De Jhang leads with a .407 average and he’s second with a .455 OBP. He’s seventh with a .475 slugging percentage and third with a .929 OPS.
Jose Osuna is ninth in batting average with a .320 mark and tied for ninth with five doubles.
JaCoby Jones is tied for sixth with 15 runs scored and tied for fifth with two triples. He is tied for seventh with three homers and tied for sixth with 15 RBIs
Justin Maffei leads the league with a .468 OBP and he’s seventh with an .874 OPS. He is tied for sixth with 15 runs scored and tied for tenth with 12 walks.
Austin Meadows is tied for seventh with 25 hits.
Erich Weiss is tied for eighth with 14 RBIs.
On the pitching side, no Bradenton pitchers are in the top ten in ERA, WHIP or strikeouts.
For West Virginia, Chase Simpson(pictured above) is ninth with a .328 average, first with a .447 OBP and ninth in slugging with a .541 mark. His .988 OPS ranks fourth and he is tied for ninth with three homers. He is tied for third with 13 walks.
Jerrick Suiter is seventh with a .417 OBP
Pablo Reyes is tied for ninth with three homers.
On the pitching side, Miguel Rosario is sixth with a 2.08 ERA.
Austin Coley is seventh with an 0.95 WHIP.
Pirates Game Graph
Source: FanGraphs
Today’s Schedule
Today’s Starter and Notes: The Pirates lost 2-1 to the St Louis Cardinals on Friday night in the opener of a three-game series. The Pirates look to avoid dropping to .500 on Saturday afternoon as they send Francisco Liriano to the mound. He will put his 2.22 ERA up against John Lackey, who has a 4.21 ERA this year in four starts. Included in those four starts for Lackey is seven shutout innings against the Brewers.
In the minors, Angel Sanchez starts for Altoona. He was named the Pirates Prospects Pitcher of the Month for April. The only run that Sanchez has allowed in 22.2 innings(four starts) came off a solo homer in his third outing. Altoona is in first place in their division, with a three game lead over second place Bowie. Frank Duncan gets the start for Bradenton. He was the Marauders’ Pitcher of the Month for April. West Virginia trails first place Hickory by two games in the standings. You can view last night’s prospect watch here.
MLB: Pittsburgh (12-11) @ Cardinals (16-6) 2:15 PM
Probable starter: Francisco Liriano (2.22 ERA, 12:30 BB/SO, 24.1 IP)
AAA: Indianapolis (13-10) vs Lehigh Valley (6-17) 7:05 PM (season preview)
Probable starter: Chris Volstad (4.57 ERA, 8:11 BB/SO, 21.2 IP)
AA: Altoona (13-6) vs Erie (6-14) 6:00 PM (season preview)
Probable starter: Angel Sanchez (0.40 ERA, 2:12 BB/SO, 22.2 IP)
High-A: Bradenton (11-11) vs St Lucie (11-11) 6:30 PM(season preview)
Probable starter: Frank Duncan (2.86 ERA, 5:17 BB/SO, 22.0 IP)
Low-A: West Virginia (13-8) @ Greensboro (10-10) 7:00 PM (season preview)
Probable starter: Jose Regalado (2.70 ERA, 1:10 BB/SO, 13.1 IP)
Highlights
From Friday night, Alen Hanson made a nice play here on defense.
On offense, Hanson had a big game, collecting four hits and scoring two runs. The 22-year-old is hitting .268/.318/.293 after his typical slow April.
Recent Transactions
5/1: Jerrick Suiter placed on disabled list. Austin Coley added to WV Power roster.
5/1: Pirates sign pitcher Robert Stock.
4/29: Jaff Decker placed on disabled list. Wilkin Castillo added to Indianapolis roster.
4/27: Jeremy Bleich promoted to Altoona
4/26: John Sever added to WV Power roster. Austin Coley transferred to WV Black Bears roster.
4/25: Jonathan Schwind placed on disabled list.
4/25: Justin Sellers transferred from Bradenton to Indianapolis on rehab.
4/25: Jeremy Bleich added to Bradenton roster.
4/22: Francisco Diaz assigned to WV Black Bears roster. Kawika Emsley-Pai added to WV Power roster.
4/21: John Sever assigned to WV Black Bears roster. Jose Regalado added to West Virginia Power roster.
4/20: Justin Sellers assigned to Bradenton on rehab.
4/19: Wilkin Castillo assigned to West Virginia Black Bears
4/19: Pat Ludwig retires.
4/18: Jaff Decker activated from disabled list and optioned to Indianapolis. Adam Miller assigned to WV Black Bears.
4/18: Junior Sosa sent to Bradenton. Barrett Barnes assigned to Extended Spring Training.
This Date in Pirates History
Three former Pittsburgh Pirates players born on this date, all of them pitchers and they lasted a total of 13 games between them. Jose Ascanio pitched ten games, split between 2009 and 2011. Clay Carroll pitched two games for the 1978 Pirates and Freddy Sale pitched for Pittsburgh on June 30,1924. With the Pirates losing 7-3 to the Cardinals that day, Sale came on for the eight inning and gave up two singles to the first two hitters. Two batters later, he got an out and a double play without allowing a run and his big league career was over.
The Pittsburgh Pirates played their first game in franchise history 133 years ago today. That day, the Alleghenys defeated the Cincinnati Red Stockings on the first day of baseball in the American Association. It was a league that lasted ten years total and for the first five, Pittsburgh was a member, before moving to the National League for the 1887 season. The first batter in team history was Ed Swartwood, who led the league in runs and doubles in 1882 and became the first Pirates/Alleghenys player to lead the league in average(.357) the next season.
