After looking yesterday at the hitting prospects that will be in Pittsburgh Pirates major league camp this year, here’s a look at the pitchers.
Mike Burrows
He might have the highest upside of any of the pitching prospects in the upper levels right now, but I really want to see a full season from him more than anything else. He really came along with his changeup last year, pushing him into being a legit starting pitcher prospect.
Yerry De Los Santos/Colin Holderman
Depending how you are filling out your bullpen going into camp, these two are either not in the current picture, or fighting it out for potentially the final spot.
Yerry De Los Santos, Filth.
Holderman might have been a little better last year, but YDLS could have more upside. They both have options, so both could be eased back in the Triple-A bullpen.
Jose Hernandez
As the Rule 5 pick, you’d hope to see him as much as you can safely put him out there. He has a fastball that can hit triple digits, and while the slider gets some chases, it doesn’t have the best form. Being a lefty, can he make it on just one pitch like that?
Luis Ortiz
How long can Ortiz get away with just two plus pitches? He’s one of the biggest risers in all of minor league baseball last year, so let’s see if he can climb any higher with more emphasis on the changeup.
Colin Selby
Selby might have the best slider in the system. He put up the numbers last year — both base and analytically — to back his climb. The bullpen is deeper, but he has some of the best stuff among all the options.
Colin Selby pic.twitter.com/gopLRLhUWZ
— MiLB Clips (@MiLBClips) November 13, 2022
Cody Bolton
Bolton made his return to the mound in 2022 and pitched well all things considered (also dealing with COVID). He was eased back into things last season, so 2023 is the year to try to stretch him out as a starter to see if that works.
Jared Jones
Jones could have one of those outings that are both eye dropping and hard to watch at the same time. He has an electric fastball, but also struggled with command. I don’t have a doubt he can come into a Spring Training game and blow a few people away, but also how does the secondary stuff and control look?
Carmen Mlodzinski/Kyle Nicolas
I group these together because they are in ways some of the biggest wildcards in the upper levels this season. They could shorten Nicolas up right now and he’d probably be a very good reliever. Mlodzinski could be a strong swingman in the mold of Wil Crowe.
Carmen Mlodzinski gave up some big hits but also made some nice pitches. This is a strikeout he got to end an inning #LetsGoBucs pic.twitter.com/bmNlYW4Ukg
— Anthony Murphy (@__Murphy88) April 15, 2022
Not sure the Pirates are ready to give up on them as starters though, or give up their depth in the rotation either.
Quinn Priester
He’s probably the safest prospect in the system when it comes to knowing he’s going to be a major league starter, which is nice considering he was their first round pick in 2019. Just where he falls is the question. Putting more emphasis on the sinker could help, as well as maybe keeping him as close to Mitch Keller as possible.
Highlight of the Day
From earlier this week: Po-Yu Chen Has Some of the Best Spin in the Pirates System
Pirates Prospects Daily
By Tim Williams
**The Pirates signed two players to minor league deals ahead of Spring Training: LHP Caleb Smith and RHP Jake Stevenson.
**Wilbur Miller looked at the recent history of the Pirates drafting catching prospects.
**John Dreker reports that the Pirates hired veteran pitcher Alessandro Maestri as one of their DSL pitching coaches.
**FanGraphs revealed their updated top Pirates prospects list.
**The World Baseball Classic rosters are announced.
**Missed yesterday? Anthony looked at the hitters in big league camp this year.
Song of the Day
