The Pittsburgh Pirates went very pitcher heavy in the 2022 draft, despite their first pick being Termarr Johnson. Of the 19 players they signed, 15 were pitchers (16 if you count two-way player Jack Brannigan).
With the draft now in July, there have been more hitters than pitchers making their professional debut after signing. Not wanting to risk the young arms they just invested in, we don’t see many pitchers get ramped back up until the following season.
One arm out of that draft class who will draw a lot of attention is Thomas Harrington, the team’s second pick and 36th overall out of Campbell.
The righty went from being a walk-on to the highest drafted pitcher in the school’s history. He showed signs of his potential almost immediately, pitching five innings of one-run baseball, while striking out six in his college debut against Liberty.
A draft eligible sophomore, Harrington flew up the draft charts, mainly due to the potential to have four at least average pitches, with many praising his changeup as his best pitch.
Despite Campbell having another first round pick on the team in Zach Neto, there wasn’t much video available for Harrington, so whenever he takes the mound this upcoming year will be the first we will get a really good look at him.
Being a highly drafted college pitcher, there’s a good chance that the Pirates send him straight to High-A to play for the Grasshoppers.
Being a draft eligible sophomore, he also comes with one year less experience than most college picks, and with Greensboro’s rotation already expected to be on the crowded side, starting in Bradenton may be the best way to start his career.
Harrington has the kind of repertoire that can really allow him to blow through the lower levels, especially due to the changeup. We saw the success some of the Bradenton pitchers had last year with the pitch, and Harrington is another that could benefit from his offspeed.
Either way, the Pirates hope that the 36th overall pick ends up becoming another rotation option in the wave of prospects that are currently in the lower levels. It’s a wave that is quickly filling up with options, especially when it comes to the rotation.
Highlight of the Day
Thomas Harrington (NC) on cruise control for the Camels, elite strike thrower with legit 4-pitch mix, like this 3 pitch punch out FB 93, SL 83, SL 82…7-0 Campbell in the 6th @GoCamelsBSB pic.twitter.com/btuBTiBmuJ
— PG College Baseball (@PGCollegeBall) March 11, 2022
Pirates Prospects Daily
By Tim Williams
**Our latest Roundtable looks at where the Pirates need to add to their pitching staff, following all of the additions we’ve seen in the last week.
**MLB Pipeline released their first mock draft for 2023, with the Pirates projected to take LSU outfielder Dylan Crews.
**Josh Palacios, taken in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 draft, had a big day on Wednesday. Yohan Ramirez mowed down two of his teammates. John Dreker has that and more in the latest Pirates winter league updates.
**Missed yesterday? Anthony looked at the 2022 season from right-handed pitcher Valentin Linarez, and how it has a familiar feel to what we saw from Luis Ortiz, prior to last season.
Song of the Day
Pirates Prospects Weekly
The Pirates have added Vince Velasquez to their starting group, and Jarlin Garcia and others to their bullpen. This week, our Roundtable looked at what else the Pirates need for their pitching staff.
Pirates Roundtable: Where Do the Pirates Need to Add to Their Pitching Staff?
Jeff Reed will have the latest Pirates discussion on Friday at noon.
