Yesterday, I looked at the starting nine hitters for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2024, highlighting there are only three players this year who have 500+ plate appearances in a single season in the majors. Next year, the Pirates might be asking five young players to do just that for the first time, every single night.
The pitching side shows the same inexperience in playing time. Mitch Keller finished his season with 194.1 innings across 32 starts, where he struck out 210 batters for one of the best individual seasons in Pirates’ history.
Behind Keller, Johan Oviedo has thrown 177.2 innings this year. Keller threw 159 innings last year, which was his career-high at the time, exceeding 151.2 innings in 2019. Oviedo threw 146.2 innings in the minors in 2019, but has been in the 116 inning range the last two years. It’s an increase for both pitchers, which could boost the 2024 staff if they can both maintain those high inning totals.
Just like the offense, this is a young group. The pitching staff might be even younger, in terms of experience. Keller and Oviedo rank first and second. Rich Hill ranks third as the only other Pirates pitcher this year with over 100 innings pitched, and he’s been gone since the start of August.
Here are the top 13 pitchers this year, by innings:
- Mitch Keller – 194.1
- Johan Oviedo – 177.2
- Luis Ortiz – 86.2
- Roansy Contreras – 68.1
- David Bednar – 66.1
- Dauri Moreta – 56.1
- Colin Holderman – 56.0
- Jose Hernandez – 48.2
- Osvaldo Bido – 46.2
- Quinn Priester – 44.2
- Bailey Falter – 40.1
- Andre Jackson – 39.2
- Ryan Borucki – 39.0
Just off the list is Carmen Mlodzinski, who I would put on the list to be in the majors next year. Mlodzinski is at 35.1 innings, which is acceptable for a reliever pitching in the late innings in his first MLB season.
The problem is finding starters who can go beyond 120 innings. Keller has done that several times in his career. Oviedo just showed he could do that at the MLB level.
Roansy Contreras pitched 129 innings in 2022, and 134 in 2019. He struggled in the majors as a starter this year, combining for 103 innings between majors and minors.
Luis Ortiz has 143.1 innings between Triple-A and the majors this year, with back of the rotation numbers at both stops. He went 140 innings last year. He can throw innings, but has dealt with control issues and declining strikeouts. He might be better suited with the bullpen group.
Quinn Priester is likely to begin the 2024 season in the rotation. He’s got 152.2 innings this year between Triple-A and the majors, and 113 innings last year if you count the AFL work.
Bailey Falter and Andre Jackson have been getting rotation work. Falter has 130.2 innings between the minors and majors this year, after 131 last year. Jackson has 95.2 innings split this year, after 85 last year.
If you’re drawing up a rotation, Mitch Keller, Johan Oviedo, Quinn Priester, Luis Ortiz, and Roansy Contreras would be the candidates, in terms of capability of innings. However, Ortiz and Contreras haven’t pitched well enough for a spot, long-term. For that matter, neither has Priester, who will make his final start of the season tonight.
This is an area where the Pirates could use two starters for the 2024 season. They tried adding two for the 2023 season in Rich Hill and Vince Velasquez. That half-worked, with Velasquez going down early with an injury, and Hill pitching until being traded at the deadline.
Keller should be the only pitcher trusted for more than 150 innings. Oviedo should be penciled in. From there, the Pirates have three spots to fill, needing reliable starters for the entire season. JT Brubaker could be back to give a sleeper arm from within. The addition of two outside arms, plus Brubaker/Priester/Ortiz/Contreras/Falter/Jackson/Bido should provide enough full-season depth from the rotation and long-relievers.
From there, the starting prospects who could arrive in the second half of 2024 include Jared Jones, Mike Burrows, and Paul Skenes.
PRIESTER TAKES ON MARLINS
The Pirates lost to the Marlins last night, allowing four runs in the eighth inning. Quinn Priester makes his final start of the season, looking to build upon his last start. Priester went six innings, allowing two runs on two runs, with five walks and four strikeouts. Here is the lineup behind him:
- Jared Triolo, 1B
- Bryan Reynolds, LF
- Ke’Bryan Hayes, 3B
- Jack Suwinski, RF
- Henry Davis, DH
- Endy Rodriguez, C
- Liover Peguero, SS
- Ji Hwan Bae, CF
- Nick Gonzales, 2B
I like this group. It’s got a reliable trio batting 2-4, with a chance to produce a lot of offense if a few of the younger players are on tonight.
SONG OF THE DAY
