Monday’s action in the Pittsburgh Pirates system was light, but did feature some notable performances in rookie ball, including pitching from Jun-Seok Shim and Carlos Jimenez. You can find those results below the rundown of last week’s best players.
Player of the Week
JACK BRANNIGAN, 3B, GREENSBORO
Brannigan showed off some power last week, belting six home runs for Greensboro in 31 plate appearances. He had a .407/.387/1.111 line on the week. The Pirates drafted Brannigan in the third round last year as a two-way player. He’s only been a position player this year, batting .275/.390/.534 with 15 homers in 287 plate appearances across both levels of A-ball.
Ten More to Follow
LUIS ORTIZ, RHP, INDIANAPOLIS
For the second week in a row, Luis Ortiz pitched five innings of one run ball. He allowed three hits and didn’t walk a batter in the latest start, while striking out three. Ortiz struggled for a few starts after being sent down from Pittsburgh, but the last two starts look like they could have him on the right track.
AARON SHORTRIDGE, RHP, ALTOONA
Shortridge pitched a complete game for Altoona, allowing two runs, one earned, on six hits. He didn’t allow a walk, and struck out seven batters. This was his second dominant start in a row, after allowing one run in six innings in his start last week. Shortridge struck out nine in that start, and has a 16:1 K/BB ratio in 15 innings over the last two outings.
SEAN SULLIVAN, RHP, ALTOONA
Sullivan has been putting up decent numbers in the Altoona rotation overall, with starts like the one this past week keeping him in the mix. He allowed two runs in seven innings of work against Erie, walking one and striking out five. This was the second start of the year where Sullivan has pitched seven innings. He has a 4.11 ERA in 81 innings this year in Double-A.
PO-YU CHEN, RHP, GREENSBORO
Chen was definitely the top pitcher this past week, and challenged for the Player of the Week award. In his lone start, he pitched 4.2 innings of shutout ball. He walked two and allowed two hits. What stood out is that he struck out 12 batters out of the 14 outs he recorded.
DEREK DIAMOND, RHP, GREENSBORO
Diamond pitched five innings in his start this week, allowing one run on three hits, with three walks and nine strikeouts. This was a career high in strikeouts in a single game for last year’s sixth round pick. Since being promoted to Greensboro at the end of July, Diamond has a 3.18 ERA in 17 innings, with a 16:6 K/BB.
JOSIAH SIGHTLER, 1B, GREENSBORO
Sightler homered twice in the same game over the weekend, and hit .333/.320/.708 in 25 plate appearances this past week. The first baseman was drafted by the Pirates in the 15th round last year, and is batting .277/.324/.477 with four homers in 71 plate appearances for Greensboro.
JASE BOWEN, OF, GREENSBORO
Bowen homered three times this week, and stole two bases, while batting .296/.345/.667. The homers and steals put him over the mark for a 20/20 season in Greensboro, with a current 22 homers and 20 steals.
LONNIE WHITE JR., OF, BRADENTON
White was the player of the week one week ago. He followed by hitting .350/.480/.650 with three doubles and a homer in 25 plate appearances. White went on the 7-day injured list by the end of the week. No update on the injury or how long he will be out.
CHARLES MCADOO, 2B, BRADENTON
McAdoo started the week by going 6-for-6 with two home runs. He finished with a .615 average and a 1.764 OPS. The Pirates drafted McAdoo in the 13th round out of San Jose State. This was his first full week in pro ball, at an easier level for him to adjust.
OMAR ALFONZO, 1B, BRADENTON
Alfonzo has been getting more playing time recently, with the 19-year-old catcher moving to first base often. His offense has kept him in the lineup, with a .400/.550/.800 line last week in 20 plate appearances. He homered twice, and now has three in 109 plate appearances, with an .822 OPS.
Monday’s Home Runs
- Richard Ramirez, C, DSL Pirates Gold x2 (5)
Monday’s Minor League Results
FCL PIRATES (29-20) AT FCL Red Sox
Score: Red Sox 8, Pirates 2
FCL Pirates Starter: Jun-Seok Shim, RHP (3.38)
–Line: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, 0 HR
Player of the Game: Estuar Suero, RF (1-for-3, BB, RBI)
Notable Performers
- Carlos Jimenez, RHP (2.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 0 HR)
DSL PIRATES BLACK (15-31) VS DSL Mariners
Score: Mariners 10, Pirates 3
Pirates Black Starter: Carlos Mateo, RHP (18.75)
–Line: 0.2 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, 0 HR
Player of the Game: Cristian Jauregui, CF (3-for-3)
DSL PIRATES GOLD (36-12) VS DSL Tigers 1
Score: Pirates 10, Tigers 5
Pirates Gold Starter: Inmer Lobo, LHP (1.98)
–Line: 4.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 8 K, 0 HR
Player of the Game: Richard Ramirez, C (3-for-5, 2 HR [5], 2 RBI)
