Here’s a look at the top prospects for the Pittsburgh Pirates, broken down by level of play for the top 30, youngest hitter/pitcher at each level and the level for the top prospects at each position. The rankings are based on our recently released top 30 prospects list.
Opening Day Assignment for Top 30 Prospects
- Oneil Cruz – Indianapolis (Triple-A)
- Henry Davis- Greensboro (High-A)
- Roansy Contreras – Indianapolis
- Nick Gonzales – Altoona (Double-A)
- Quinn Priester – Altoona
- Liover Peguero – Altoona
- Endy Rodriguez – Greensboro
- Jared Jones – Greensboro
- Mike Burrows – Altoona
- Matt Fraizer – Altoona
- Bubba Chandler – Extended Spring Training
- Carmen Mlodzinski – Altoona
- Anthony Solometo – Extended Spring Training
- Lonnie White Jr – Extended Spring Training
- Travis Swaggerty – Indianapolis
- Diego Castillo – Pirates
- Miguel Yajure – Pirates
- Rodolfo Nolasco -Bradenton (Low-A)
- Ji-hwan Bae – Indianapolis
- Rodolfo Castro – Indianapolis
- Canaan Smith-Njigba – Indianapolis
- Jared Triolo – Altoona
- Connor Scott – Altoona
- Tahnaj Thomas – Altoona
- Kyle Nicolas – Altoona
- JC Flowers – Altoona
- Dariel Lopez – Greensboro
- Luis Ortiz -Altoona
- Cody Bolton – Indianapolis
- Maikol Escotto – Greensboro
By The Numbers
Indianapolis – 7
Altoona – 12
Greensboro – 5
Bradenton – 1
Extended ST – 3
Opening Day Assignments for Top Prospects at Each Position
First Team
C – Henry Davis, Greensboro
1B – Mason Martin, Indianapolis
2B – Nick Gonzales, Altoona
SS – Oneil Cruz, Indianapolis
3B – Rodolfo Castro, Indianapolis
OF – Matt Fraizer, Altoona
OF – Lonnie White Jr, Extended ST
OF – Travis Swaggerty, Indianapolis
RHP – Roansy Contreras
LHP – Anthony Solometo
Second Team
C – Endy Rodriguez, Greensboro
1B – Will Matthiessen
2B – Ji-hwan Bae
SS – Liover Peguero
3B – Jared Triolo
OF – Rodolfo Nolasco
OF – Canaan Smith-Njigba
OF – Connor Scott
RHP – Quinn Priester
LHP – Omar Cruz
Youngest Hitters/Pitchers by Affiliate
Indianapolis
Hitter: Ji-hwan Bae 07/26/1999 (22)
Pitcher: Roansy Contreras 11/07/1999 (22)
Altoona
Hitter: Liover Peguero 12/31/2000 (21)
Pitcher: Quinn Priester, 09/16/2000 (21)
Greensboro
Hitter: Maikol Escotto 06/04/2002 (19)
Pitcher: Jared Jones 08/06/2001 (20)
Bradenton
Hitter: Alexander Mojica, 08/02/2002 (19)
Pitcher: Carlos Jimenez, 07/14/2002 (19)
THIS WEEK ON PIRATES PROSPECTS
Which Pirates Prospects Stood Out in the First Week?
Top Pirates Prospects Sorted by Level, Position and Age
Why Am I Here? Some Interesting Initial Assignments in the Pirates’ System
Travis Swaggerty Gears For Season After Roller Coaster Break
Ji-Hwan Bae: Opposite Field Hitting Leads To Strong Opening Week
Cody Bolton Returns to the Mound After Two Years Away
Indianapolis Indians Pitching Staff Thrive Through Chaotic Week
John started working at Pirates Prospects in 2009, but his connection to the Pittsburgh Pirates started exactly 100 years earlier when Dots Miller debuted for the 1909 World Series champions. John was born in Kearny, NJ, two blocks from the house where Dots Miller grew up. From that hometown hero connection came a love of Pirates history, as well as the sport of baseball.
When he didn't make it as a lefty pitcher with an 80+ MPH fastball and a slider that needed work, John turned to covering the game, eventually focusing in on the prospects side, where his interest was pushed by the big league team being below .500 for so long. John has covered the minors in some form since the 2002 season, and leads the draft and international coverage on Pirates Prospects. He writes daily on Pittsburgh Baseball History, when he's not covering the entire system daily throughout the entire year on Pirates Prospects.
