After making the jump to Bradenton in 2021 as a teenager, Dariel Lopez moved up to Greensboro this past year, taking advantage of one of the most hitter friendly ballparks in the minors.
A late season injury prevented him from reaching the 20-home run plateau, but he still managed to slash .286/.329/.476, with 19 home runs, 58 RBI and a 116 wRC+.
It was officially announced on Thursday by the team that Lopez would miss the entire 2023 season after dislocating his knee in an off-season workout session.
Lopez has some of the most intriguing power in the system, and was in position to have a breakout type season depending on how he responded to Double-A Altoona.
The strikeout numbers climbed slightly last year, and his swing and miss numbers were borderline worrisome, but time was always on Lopez’s side due to his young age for the level he had been playing at.
While missing out on a whole year of development is a big blow, Lopez will still be 22-years-old next year, which is a perfect age for Double-A.
The Lefty Situation
Jarlin Garcia was brought in to help stabilize a bullpen that struggled last year. After leaving a spring game with an injury, it looks like it will be some time before we see him on the mound.
LHP Jarlín García sustained an injury to nerves in the "mid-humerus biceps region." He is in "no-throw status" for the foreseeable future, per director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk.
The team will run more image and diagnostic tests in 4-5 weeks, then assess daily from there.
— Justice delos Santos (@justdelossantos) March 16, 2023
An injury to a nerve makes sense when it was earlier stated that he had a problem gripping a baseball.
If Garcia is going to miss a significant amount of time, the Pirates have no other left-handed relief pitchers on the 40-man besides Rule 5 pick Jose Hernandez.
They had several lefties in camp as non-roster invites, with Caleb Smith already being reassigned back to the minor league side of things. Rob Zastryzny was pitching for Canada in the WBC, but with their run over, he should rejoin the team.
The Pirates could always go with someone outside of the organization, leverage some of the depth they have in the middle infield, and outfield to bring in a pitcher, or they could claim someone off waivers.
Angel Perdomo has had an up and down spring, and in true reliever fashion it’s been a small sample of outings that has really inflated his home runs. He’s struck out six batters in 5.2 innings, spanning six appearances out of the bullpen.
In his last outing against the Blue Jays, he struck out the side. While having both your lefties being inexperienced like Perdomo and Hernandez is risky, they both have a lot more upside than any of the other options.
Pirates Prospects Daily
By John Dreker
The Pirates won 9-6 over the New York Yankees on Thursday night, but the news from the game was Carlos Santana leaving due to left knee discomfort. Tyler Samaniego also left the game early. Here’s the boxscore from the game.
**Medical Updates on Andrew McCutchen, Jarlin Garcia and Dariel Lopez Here are some details on the medical updates from above, plus two other updates.
**Pirates Release Three Lower Level Minor League Players
**New Mock Draft from Baseball America, Same Name at the Top New mock draft season has arrived
**Pirates DVR: Roansy Contreras And Luis Ortiz Pitch In WBC, Mike Burrows
**Pirates Prospects Daily: Mitch Keller Getting the Opening Day Nod is a Great Baseball Story
**World Baseball Classic Recap: David Bednar and Duane Underwood Jr Help Their Teams Advance This article was updated during the day with the Japan/Italy results and today’s schedule
Song of the Day
Today’s Lineup
The Pirates are at home against the Tampa Bay Rays today. 1:05 PM. TV game. Happy St Patrick’s Day
The squad vs. the Rays.
📺 AT&T SportsNet
📻 KDKA 100.1 FM & 1020 AM | The PRN #LetsGoBucs pic.twitter.com/Pvv71brdN5— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) March 17, 2023
Anthony began writing over 10 years ago, starting a personal blog to cover the 2011 MLB draft, where the Pirates selected first overall. After bouncing around many websites covering hockey, he refocused his attention to baseball, his first love when it comes to sports. He eventually found himself here at Pirates Prospects in late 2021, where he covers the team’s four full season minor league affiliates.
Statcast update
https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/gamefeed?gamePk=719080
Mason Martin hit one over the green wall at Lecom! Wilbur, ever see that before?
When he gets one grooved it sure is tantalizing.
Perdomo seazing the opportunity
I’m starting to lean hard into the idea of CSN and a swaggerty over Suwinski to start.
yes! this
but leaning harder on trading Reynolds before opening day
I’m for a Reynolds extension so that’s where we disagree.
https://theathletic.com/4255779/2023/03/16/mlb-sticky-stuff-crackdown-reaction/
It is absolutely hilarious watching the League double down on what has been inarguably proven to be complete junk science regarding the impact of spin rate on the game.
Remember, the hypothesis that started this entire witchhunt was the contact and base hits are significantly down, that’s bad for the quality of the game, and spin rate is not only a significant cause of this but that it can only be increased by cheating.
If this were true, then it is inarguable that we should see batting average rise and strikeouts fall as spin rate decreases. If spin rate increases, we should see batting average drop and strikeouts increase.
The League claims their new crackdown this year is on account of spin rate increasing as the year went on after dropping in 2021.
League-wide batting average in September of 2021 was .232 and that was paired with a 24.4% k-rate.
League-wide batting average in September of 2022 – remember, when the disastrous increase in spin rate reared its ugly head – was .240 and that paired with a 23.0% K-rate.
The exact polar opposite of what the league’s junk science says should happen.
Bullshit. It’s complete bullshit. What passes for science in america right now is complete garbage. This is a media controversy used by the owners to discredit the players and taint the league. Compete effing morons.
Dude… the pitchers were cheating bad. Look no further than RichRod.
It’s not discrediting ALL players just the cheating pitchers. The hitters want the pitchers to stop cheating. It’s impossible to police though.
Pitchers were using literally the same exact substance to control the ball as hitters were using to control the bat.
Except hitters were fed a narrative that pitchers were gaining an unfair advantage for their use, which has inarguably proven to be bullshit.
An exceptionally small number of individual pitchers were gaining an inordinate improvement, but the overall impact of spin on the pitcher-hitter matchup has proven to be nearly non-existent.
How can you possibly argue the crackdown is worthwhile if there zero evidence of it actually impacting the quality of play league-wide?
Don’t give me anecdotes, just show me the data.
You don’t throw a bat.
Not impacting the quality of play?? Have you watched the terrible baseball of the last few years?
There’s plenty of data. You just like to pick fights.
Then. Show. Me.
You’ve now engaged twice on something you believe is such settled fact that you’re indignant someone could even question the logic, and yet you’ve been unable to produce a single shred of evidence supporting your claim. You’ve instead chosen to attack me personally. It could just as easily be said that you’re intellectually vapid and eager to lap up anything you’re told.
We’re talking basic scientific method here, pal.
Hypothesis has been made, experiment has been run, and measurements have been taken.
If the results do not follow, then you have no choice but to accept the hypothesis was flawed.
It has inarguably been proven that overall quality of play has not fluctuated with changes in spin rate. That indicates there has been a failure to isolate variables; spin rate does not have the effect on play that the hypothesis proposed. There is far more causing this, which calls into question how much attention the league should give the matter.
If you spent extra money every year getting the gutters professionally cleaned because your roof was leaking and yet it still continued to leak, would you keep paying to clean the gutters or look for another solution?
Suwinski with a k with a man on 3rd… bailed out by Choi.
showcasing Reynolds in centerfield today for the Tampa scouts
sources say Xavier Isaac and and Taj Bradley trade going down following today´s game
My man and future reliever Bido with 4 swing and miss as he mowed down the 1st 3:Rays!
Looks like Owings is being handed a spot on the opening day roster. Veteranosity!
While sending Endy down to AAA is easily defensible imo, putting guys like owings or Maggi on this roster are much more difficult to understand. Owings I can only get if they are fine stashing him on the bench so a prospect can get daily ABs at Indy, even then I dont love it
BC explaining to the coaching staff why Owings is on the roster and expected to play regularly:
“Guys, how will we ever know if Owings is the next Justin Turner unless he plays most days?” I’ve got a good feeling about him.
Coaching Staff- Didn’t he try selling us on this bullshit with Chavis, JVM, Gamel, Marcano, and about a dozen other near zero WAR players the last couple years?
I wings isn’t on the 40 man. They have to move someone off the 40 to put a catcher on. To add paints they have to move two. I don’t see it.
Just great. So even when the Pirates win, they lose.
Hopefully Santana will be back in time for Cincy later this month.
As for LHRP, I’m all for upside over veteranosity.
Speaking of relief pitching, I expect many national pundits to say the Mets should pursue Bednar to fill their now vacant Closer role. If I’m BC, I definitely listen if Mets come calling, and consummate a deal if they offer a power hitting 1B/Corner OF or some high upside arms.
Personally, i would love if they took alexis diaz off the reds’ hands for some non mlb ready prospects
That’s not happening!
Maybe, maybe not. Rarely do small market teams hold leverage over the big boys. Now would be a prime opportunity to make Steve Cohen the bottom bitch. Hope the Pirates are the ones to do it.
Alexis Diaz is a second year player with the Reds, good cheap and a player the Reds shouldn’t trade, it seems that you are thinking about Edwin Diaz, his brother.
No. Reds don’t need a Closer. What they need are more prospects who can help them win in a few years. By then Alexis Diaz will either be expensive or not as good. High leverage RP is easily found/developed compared to most other positions. As such, it’s cheaper too. When presented an opportunity to trade a RP for top value, a small market team should almost always deal them away.
TOP PROSPECT INJURED could be a whole Pirates blog itself. I jest but now that you mention it I can’t stop thinking about the breakout season he could have had. He started 2023 slow with the Curve carrying a disappointing .217
average w 29%K rate going into June but he turns it around after a conversation with Mayor Adam Hyzdu to sport a 378/440/646 line in June. Alas he stumbles into a dread Liz Frank injury (no relationship to a Lisfranc fracture ) during a July 4th hot dog toss, missing all of 2024. Another TOP PROSPECT INJURED.
So maybe this is for the best
I am Groot.