What has stood out about Quinn Priester in the early games in Triple-A this year is his high whiff rate. The 2019 first rounder has two starts with double-digit whiff totals, seeing an increase over his lack of swing and miss in the past.
Another thing that has stood out is his tendency to get hit hard. This isn’t new, as it led to a 7.74 ERA in 50 innings during his first run through the Triple-A level. Priester carried that trend into his 2024 debut with the Pirates against Boston on Friday night. He allowed three home runs, leading to four of his five runs in 4.1 innings of work.
There was swing and miss tonight, leading to nine whiffs. That was a 20% rate on his 44 swings, which is lower than his 23.3% rate from last season. Priester struck out two, walked one, and allowed seven hits.
Roansy Contreras has also dealt with hard hits, and gave up three runs tonight on a solo homer and a two RBI double. That play was saved from a third run on a relay throw to the plate by second baseman Jared Triolo.
The Pirates didn’t help Priester or Contreras with the eight runs they allowed. The offense had four hits, with a key one coming from pinch hitter Alika Williams. He tripled in the ninth inning, with Edward Olivares grounding out to score the lone run in the 8-1 loss to the Red Sox.
STATCAST HEROES
Hunter Stratton pitched two shutout innings, and had some of the hardest stuff of the night. He had two whiffs each on his four seam and slider, with one whiff on his cutter. STATS
The minor league Statcast Heroes can be found in the nightly Pirates Prospect Watch.
DAILY VIDEO RUNDOWN
Andrew McCutchen got a standing ovation in his return to PNC Park after hitting his 300th home run.
We love you Cutch 💛 pic.twitter.com/phF3TBgPj5
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) April 19, 2024
Nick Gonzales has an 11-game hitting streak, and leads the International League in doubles.
https://twitter.com/indyindians/status/1781480733682421791
Malcom Nunez lines an RBI single to left field, continuing to hit the ball hard for Indianapolis. I wrote about his power this week.
Insurance. 🤑 pic.twitter.com/fMZSn1GiAD
— Indianapolis Indians (@indyindians) April 20, 2024
Matt Fraizer got Altoona on the board early with a leadoff home run in Bowie.
Four pitches, one run! @mattfraizer3 leads off the game with a solo blast in Bowie!
LISTEN: https://t.co/aioWvW3Svf
WATCH: https://t.co/6GP894jPtF pic.twitter.com/qJvwKBueRN— Altoona Curve (@AltoonaCurve) April 19, 2024
Termarr Johnson seems to be heating up. After an opposite field double to the wall last night, Johnson pulls one to the right field wall for a triple.
Termarr Johnson two-run triple. pic.twitter.com/By5oKVpTZJ
— Josh Norris 🐻 (@jnorris427) April 20, 2024
Josh Norris of Baseball America had a great video showing off the filthy stuff from Patrick Reilly on Thursday night.
https://twitter.com/jnorris427/status/1781338058329120974
Carlson Reed ended up striking out eight batters for Bradenton in four innings, with 17 total whiffs.
Career-high SEVEN punchouts for Reed through three innings! pic.twitter.com/qGiPRY6TW9
— Bradenton Marauders (@The_Marauders) April 19, 2024
Juan Jerez brought in the only run of the game for Bradenton with this solo homer.
SEE YA! Juan Jerez with his first HR of the season! pic.twitter.com/xmpTbymajr
— Bradenton Marauders (@The_Marauders) April 19, 2024
PROSPECT WATCH
Nick Gonzales is emerging as the top depth option for the middle infield, and the Pirates aren’t exactly getting production at that level. Gonzales now has hits in 17 of his 18 games this year. After a two hit night on Friday, I looked closer at Gonzales this season in tonight’s Pirates Prospect Watch.
Pirates Prospect Watch: Nick Gonzales Extends Hitting Streak to Eleven Games
TODAY: PIRATES (11-9) VS RED SOX (11-10)
Game Time: 4:05 PM EDT
Watch: SportsNet-PIT
Listen: KDKA-FM 93.7
Pirates Starter: Mitch Keller, RHP (2-1, 4.50)
Red Sox Starter: Kutter Crawford, RHP (0-0, 0.42)
In the Minors…
- LHP Michael Plassmeyer has shown swing and miss stuff in Triple-A, but has also been hit hard pretty consistently, to the tune of an 8.62 ERA. He takes the hill for Indianapolis at 6:35 PM EST.
- Altoona will send RHP Braxton Ashcraft to the mound at 6:35 PM. Ashcraft is one of the top ten prospects in the system, but has had a rough beginning to the season, with a 10.80 ERA in five innings across two appearances.
- Greensboro has a sleeper to watch in RHP Wilber Dotel. He’s thrown 5.1 shutout innings with six strikeouts in his first two starts this year. He takes the mound in the hitter-friendly home park at 6:30 PM.
- Bradenton is throwing LHP Michael Kennedy at home at 6:30 PM. Kennedy is one of the sleeper pitchers to watch at the level, drafted in the fourth round out of the prep ranks in 2022. The 19-year-old has a 6.43 ERA in seven innings, with eight strikeouts.
PIRATES PROSPECTS DAILY
The strength of the Pirates, from the MLB success through the entire system, rests with the pitching. I wrote about that with my latest column.
Williams: Pitching Provides the Promise for the Pittsburgh Pirates
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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
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
SONG OF THE DAY
Happy 420!
