At the end of a blowout loss for Indianapolis on Sunday, Malcom Nunez hit his third home run of the year. The solo shot did nothing for the chances of the Triple-A squad for the Pittsburgh Pirates. It did represent a continuation of Nunez’s power on display at the Triple-A level.
The Pirates added Nunez in a deadline trade in 2022. Jose Quintana was traded to the Cardinals, with Nunez and RHP Johan Oviedo coming back to the Pirates. Oviedo has already made an impact in the MLB rotation, before going down for the 2024 season with an injury. Nunez was in his age 21 season at the time of the deal, and had 17 home runs at the Double-A level.
Nunez has a stocky build, at 6′ 0″ and 205 pounds. He’s got the ability to play third base, although it is unlikely he would ever crack the majors with Pittsburgh at the position. The presence of Ke’Bryan Hayes and Jared Triolo has the Pirates covered at third, and there are a few middle infield options who have better defense than Nunez at the spot.
He has plus raw power, which translates better to first base. The power has been showing up in games, even in Triple-A. Last year, Nunez started heating up in the month of May, batting .357/.478/.536 with two homers and four doubles, before going down with an injury. His return to the level at the end of the season didn’t carry the same results, raising questions about his consistency at that performance level.
In the early part of the 2024 season, Nunez is batting .271/.302/.521. While the power has been there, to a tune of a .250 ISO, his walk rate has dropped. Nunez has a 5.7% walk rate this year, after walking 7% of the time last year in Triple-A, and putting up double-digit results in Double-A. Nunez has some reverse platoon splits in this regard. He has a .342 OBP against right-handers this year, after a .350 OBP against righties last year. That compares to a .301 OBP against lefties last year, and a .200 OBP through 15 plate appearances this season.
The Pirates added plenty of veteran depth for the first base position. Aside from free agent Rowdy Tellez starting in Pittsburgh, they brought in veterans Jake Lamb for Triple-A, and Seth Beer in Double-A. Nunez is only in his age 23 season, so he’s still in a development stage. If he stays healthy, this will be his first full season in Triple-A. His path to the majors as a depth option is clear: Continue hitting for power while getting on base more often. It’s no easy task, but one that Nunez has shown he can accomplish in smaller samples.
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 – READING
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
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
