In the 12th round of the 2023 draft, the Pittsburgh Pirates drafted Arizona State right-hander Khristian Curtis. The 126th ranked prospect in the draft fell to the third day, but the Pirates landed him with a $500,000 signing bonus, which ranked as the sixth-highest total in their 2023 draft class.
Curtis is coming off a year with Arizona State where he put up a 7.03 ERA in 64 innings. Those aren’t typically the level of results you see from an over-slot pick. He also hasn’t seen a lot of time on the mound in his baseball career.
In high school, Curtis was a two-sport player. The 6′ 5″, 210 pound pitcher doubled as a basketball player. He didn’t pitch for Texas A&M in 2021, and only started five games in 2022, before going down with a season-ending injury. The 64 innings last season represented the most significant playing time total for Curtis in his career.
Despite the lack of experience, Curtis stands out for a six-pitch arsenal, led by a fastball that sits 95-96, touching as high as 97.5 in his first three pro starts.
THIS WEEK ON PIRATES PROSPECTS
This week’s premium article drop for Patreon subscribers looks at players in Single-A with the Bradenton Marauders. Like every other level, this group is highlighted by interesting pitchers. There are also some hitters to follow on the position player side, which I broke down in my premium column.
**Williams: Pirates Prospects Sleepers to Follow in Single-A
Michael Kennedy was an over-slot prep pick in the fourth round of the 2022 draft. The lefty is in his first full-season league in pro ball, and showed promise this past weekend with an eight strikeout performance.
**Michael Kennedy Shows Path to Big Leagues With Eight Strikeout Performance
Khristian Curtis has a six pitch mix, despite not having a lot of time on the mound in his pitching career. The Pirates gave him an over-slot bonus as a 12th rounder last year, giving them the chance to develop his arsenal.
**Khristian Curtis Features Big Stuff From a Six Pitch Mix – READING
Carlson Reed is showing promise in his early results with Bradenton. The West Virginia draftee has a 2.45 ERA in his first three starts this year, after being taken in the fourth round last year.
**West Virginia Pitcher Carlson Reed is Off to a Great Start With the Pirates
Relievers aren’t usually prospects in the lower levels, but Magdiel Cotto is a lefty who can get his fastball up to 95. The Pirates went over-slot on him in the 11th round last year, and he’s showing good results as a reliever in the 2024 season.
**Magdiel Cotto is an Over-Slot Lefty With a Fastball That Gets Up to 95
The Pirates traded for Connor Oliver at the start of the season, getting something in return for Colin Selby. This marks his sixth different organization since the start of 2020, with hopes that the Pirates can develop the lefty into an MLB option.
**Connor Oliver Remains on the Move With Trade to Pirates
