Not everyone is going to be a top prospect, or are even expected to make the majors. Some players are going to be used to fill out the minor league rosters, and can sometimes move up and down the system based on a need a level might have.
Some of the best baseball stories can come from a player who at first seemed like a career minor leaguer, only to put things together and finally make the majors.
What can make their jobs a little more difficult is that playing time is never a priority with them, so sometimes they can really get into a groove and even when they do it may not be enough to keep them in the lineup if the team has another player at the same position.
The Pirates had several players who fit that role who had decent enough seasons in 2022.
Mike Jarvis
A sixth round pick in the 2021 draft, the Pirates used his selection to help save some money in order to get some of the prep kids signed, but Jarvis was solid in his first full season of professional baseball.
The former San Diego State Aztec isn’t really known for his offense (.210/.288/.379) but was one of the five players in the entire system to hit at least 10 home runs and steal 20 bases, joining some notable names (Matt Gorski, Andres Alvarez, Jase Bowen, Liover Peguero).
Jarvis (pictured above) played for three of the four full season teams in 2022, starting in Bradenton but also playing in Greensboro and Indianapolis.
Mike Jarvis with a great play to get the first out of the game #LetsGoBucs pic.twitter.com/Da1qLtxah3
— Anthony Murphy (@__Murphy88) June 9, 2022
The errors hurt at times (22 overall) but he also came up with quite a few big plays, a few even in the Bradenton combined no-hitter earlier in the year.
Fabricio Macias
Like Jarvis, Macias played for three of the four full season teams, although it was only a five game stint with the Marauders while on a rehab stint.
He spent the majority of the year with Altoona, and when the Curve dealt with injuries in the outfield, Macias was one of the ones to step up.
Fabricio Macias puts us back on top with this three-run home run!! pic.twitter.com/LcLfNVOBzY
— Altoona Curve (@AltoonaCurve) July 31, 2022
In 70 games overall on the season, Macias slashed .251/.287/.416 with nine home runs, 48 RBI and seven stolen bases.
Brad Case
The relievers numbers weren’t overly impressive, but that was really due more to getting beat up in his brief time in Triple-A. Once he returned to Altoona he became a piece that wasn’t really talked about much when it comes to the bullpen’s success.
In 30 games with Altoona, all out the bullpen, Case posted a 3.92 ERA, striking out 58 batters in 62 innings pitched. He was relied on a lot of times to pitch multiple innings, especially in situations where the starter couldn’t make it deep into the game and Altoona was already trailing.
A
Highlight of the Day
Nick Gonzales sent this ball a long way.
The fifth-ranked @Pirates prospect smacks his first @MLBazFallLeague homer! pic.twitter.com/ti3Mb9AQSP
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) October 14, 2022
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