The Pirates haven’t signed anyone from their 2022 draft as of this writing. That doesn’t mean we can’t project out how this draft fits into the current system.
That system entered the year as one of the best in the game, but has graduated or will graduate a lot of prospects by the end of the year. There is growing depth in the upper levels at key positions of need. This draft will do more to boost the wave of players behind the current Indianapolis/Altoona/Greensboro group.
Today I wanted to give an idea of where each player will fit in, while giving a different view of the current system. I’ll note that this exercise is more for the system view than the individual player projections.
Termarr Johnson
I have no clue how the Pirates will develop Termarr Johnson, because we’ve yet to see them with a prospect like Johnson. They drafted a lot of talented prep players in last year’s draft, and the two with the biggest bonus went to Bradenton this year. One year earlier, Jared Jones went to Bradenton in his first full season, after the same brief stop in extended Spring Training.
Johnson was the fourth overall pick, and comes in more polished than any of those players. At this point, nothing would surprise me. John Dreker broke down how we shouldn’t expect to see many of these draft picks playing in 2022. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Pirates give Johnson a look in Bradenton — in the same “go have fun, none of this matters” way they let Liover Peguero spend a few days in the majors this year. What I’m wondering is whether he can join the 2021 prep players in Greensboro next year.
Thomas Harrington
The 36th overall pick was an interesting one. Thomas Harrington is a college sophomore at Campbell University, so there’s no rush for him to sign. He could just go back into the draft next year. He was drafted in a slot where he’d have to have an amazing season at Campbell next year to get more money. I don’t think the Pirates will have an issue signing him, but I don’t expect it to be much under slot.
This reminds me of the Carmen Mlodzinski pick from 2020. The Pirates sent Mlodzinski to Greensboro for his first full season, and he’s currently in Double-A. I’d expect Harrington to do the same, joining a very talented rotation that also will probably include Bubba Chandler, Anthony Solometo, Carlos Jimenez, and other younger pitchers in Bradenton this year. Greensboro’s rotation next year is looking like an early highlight of the 2023 system.
Hunter Barco
Barco had Tommy John surgery in May, so he’s unlikely to pitch much outside of the lower levels in the late-second half of 2023. I wrote about why I like this pick in the latest Prospect Roundtable. I’d expect Barco to spend a lot of his time in 2023 at Pirate City, making valuable use of his downtime during his rehab.
Jack Brannigan
I’d expect Brannigan to go to Greensboro, since he’s coming from a major college. I’m really interested in the two-way dynamic here. Brannigan has that experience at the college level. Bubba Chandler will have that experience only in Bradenton. The Pirates are set to pair both of these guys up next year, which should be a great pairing for their unique development paths.
The Prep Players
The Pirates only took two prep players after Termarr Johnson. They were fourth round left-handed pitcher Michael Kennedy and 19th round right-handed pitcher Yoel Tejeda. I would expect Kennedy to sign, and spend a lot of time at Pirate City in 2023. He will be 18-years-old the entire season. Tejeda is a year and a half older, and might have a better chance to spend more time in Bradenton in 2023.
The College Position Players
This is an easy group, because there were only four college position players taken in this draft — not counting Brannigan.
Fifth round outfielder Tres Gonzales will likely go to Greensboro, where he could be joined by Rodolfo Nolasco and Sergio Campana from Bradenton. The Pirates have plenty of outfield depth in the upper levels for next year, but they’re not stopping in the lower levels.
Tenth rouder Tanner Tredaway is another outfielder, and as a college senior, he should sign quickly and spend time in Greensboro in 2023. I’m not counting out his abilities to make the majors, but having him and Gonzales out of the major college ranks (Georgia Tech for Gonzales, Oklahoma for Tredaway) will be a great pairing for the younger Nolasco and Campana, who have yet to see any level of competition to match Division I college ball.
Josiah Sightler and Nick Cimillo will fill out depth in Greensboro. The Bradenton roster is young, and not all of the players will move up. Sightler is a first baseman with power. Bradenton’s first baseman has been Juan Jerez, who has a projectable frame for power, but has been inconsistent at the plate. Jerez is 20, and Sightler turns 23 this offseason. It would make sense to give Jerez more time in Bradenton. Cimillo is a catcher with power who might not stick at the position. Wyatt Hendrie is an outstanding defensive catcher in Bradenton who has an inconsistent bat. They would make a nice pairing behind the plate in Greensboro.
We could get a preview of all of these guys in Bradenton this year.
The College Pitchers
The Pirates drafted 11 pitchers out of the college ranks after the third round, including 13th round JuCo pitcher Miguel Fulgencio. I would expect Fulgencio to spend most of his time in Bradenton in 2023, where he would get more innings separate from that Greensboro rotation.
The projected Greensboro rotation is talented, but young. Of the college pitchers drafted, five were college seniors. Mixing those guys in with such a young pitching staff will help to ensure some level of consistency, to avoid a young staff getting blown up in the very hitter-friendly Greensboro home park. I think the college juniors taken in the earlier rounds are more likely to mix into the rotation.
I’m also interested in what those three lefties — Cy Nielson (8th), Dominic Perachi (11th), and Julian Bosnic (14th) — can do to help Anthony Solometo’s development from an experience standpoint. I wonder if Solometo might help them in ways. Just having a group of lefties together is a good thing that has been unusually rare for so long for a team that plays in PNC Park.
Like the position players, I’d expect we will see some of these pitchers come in to stabilize the younger A-ball teams at the end of the year — especially the college seniors.
THIS WEEKEND ON PIRATES PROSPECTS
Williams: Here’s What I’m Watching in the Pirates System in the Second Half
Where Will the New Draft Picks Fit in the Pittsburgh Pirates System?
After They Sign, When Will the New Draft Picks Debut?
Prospect Roundtable: After Termarr Johnson, Which 2022 Pirates Draft Pick Stands Out?
