San Marino is a landlocked microstate, located fully inside the borders of the country of Italy. The population couldn’t fill PNC Park, and the area of the country founded more than 17 centuries ago is only 23.5 square miles.
Alessandro Ercolani became the first person from San Marino to sign with a Major League organization when he inked a deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates in March 2021. Signed by Pirates scout Tom Gillespie, Ercolani started to show his potential in 2022, when he put up a 1.19 ERA in 30.1 innings in the FCL, striking out 39 in the process.
Last year, the Pirates sent Ercolnai to Single-A Bradenton for his first full season of work. The right-handed pitcher posted a 4.43 ERA in 65 innings, with a 66:31 K/BB ratio. What stood out was his six pitch mix, and the quality of those pitches.
THIS WEEK ON PIRATES PROSPECTS
The premium article drop each week features the best articles on the site. These are the ones that take the most time and work, but also the topics which occupy the most head space in my brain. In most weeks, there is a reporting aspect. This week’s articles featured more scouting, stats, and a bit of speculation.
In my premium column for Patreon subscribers, I looked at the cautious approach the Pirates are taking with Paul Skenes. I agree with the approach, but broke down how it could have limits that would call for him being up before the Super Two dates pass.
**Williams: The Pirates Should Be Taking a Cautious Approach With Paul Skenes
I wrote two articles this week looking at depth options who stand out to me in Triple-A.
Nick Gonzales was taken seventh overall in the 2020 draft. He’s dealt with swing and miss issues, which have kept him in Triple-A. In the early part of the season, he’s showing positive overall improvements with his strikeout rates, while still having some underlying concerns about swing and miss.
**Examining the Swing and Miss of Nick Gonzales
Malcom Nunez is a stocky corner infield prospect who can play third, but has the power for first base. After hitting three home runs to start the season, I looked deeper at the power bat of Nunez, and his brief history in Triple-A already as a 23-year-old prospect.
**Malcom Nunez Brings Plus Power Bat to Indianapolis
This week I also highlighted three lower level pitchers who have stood out to me in early looks as potential MLB starters.
The Pirates drafted Hunter Barco in the second round of the 2022 draft, while the lefty from Florida was out with Tommy John. Now fully recovered, Barco is pitching in Greensboro, and has thrown seven shutout frames in his first two starts of the season, with an advanced mix of pitches.
**Hunter Barco is Showing Why the Pirates Invested in Him
Alessandro Ercolani is a 19-year-old pitcher from the small country of San Marino, with a mix of six pitches that all show promise. The Pirates gave him the assignment of pitching in High-A Greensboro, which he embraced with four shutout innings in his debut.
**Alessandro Ercolani is a Big Talent From a Small Country – READING
Patrick Reilly was drafted as a reliever out of Vanderbilt last season, but with a mid-90s fastball that gets up to 98, and a plus slider, it’s easy to see why the Pirates are giving him a shot in the rotation. He’s showing promising control results in the early games, reversing the issue that has held him back the most.
**Patrick Reilly Features An Elite Fastball, With Early Positive Results in Control
