The Pittsburgh Pirates were originally scheduled to see three top 100 prospects pitching on Thursday. Rain had other plans.
Paul Skenes was scheduled to start for Indianapolis and Bubba Chandler was scheduled to start for Altoona. Both games were postponed due to weather. The other two minor league games were shortened.
Unfortunately, the Pirates game was played in full. Jared Jones took the mound, and pitched well until a two run homer in the seven inning. The rookie right-hander allowed three runs on six hits in 6.1 innings, with no walks and eight strikeouts. All three of his runs scored on the two home runs he allowed.
The Pirates turned to Colin Holderman, who allowed a two run homer to extend the Philadelphia lead to 5-0 at the time. Edward Olivares picked up two hits, and Jared Triolo had an RBI single in the ninth, but the Pirates offense couldn’t do much to help Jones on the evening.
It feels weird to say, but Jones didn’t have his best stuff. He’s a rookie who put up a quality start with eight strikeouts and 15 whiffs. However, he’s set the bar high in his first two outings. The difference today is the fastball wasn’t as effective, getting hit hard a few times, and not inducing as many whiffs.
It wasn’t a total loss on Thursday, as Lonnie White Jr. continued his offensive tear in the lower levels of the minors…
PROSPECT WATCH
Indianapolis and Altoona were postponed, which postponed the starts of Paul Skenes and Bubba Chandler.
Greensboro had their game suspended, up 9-0 in the 5th inning. Lonnie White Jr. hit his fourth homer in six games. I wrote about White at the start of the season as one of the top ten prospects in the system. Shawn Ross and Sammy Siani also homered. LHP Hunter Barco pitched four shutout innings, allowing two hits, no walks, and striking out four.
Bradenton lost 13-5.
- 1B Omar Alfonzo went 2-for-3 with a walk. I wrote about Alfonzo recently as a sleeper prospect to follow. He’s batting .313 with an .825 OPS. One of his hits was a single that left the bat 102.1 MPH.
- RHP Antwone Kelly was hit for seven runs on eight hits and two walks in 3.1 innings, with two home runs. Kelly is interesting for a 94-95 MPH fastball that got up to 98.6 on Thursday. His changeup picked up three whiffs on seven swings. Kelly struggles with throwing in the zone, and only had an 18% called and swinging strike rate.
- LHP Connor Oliver, acquired recently for Colin Selby, made his debut in the Pirates’ organization. Oliver allowed six runs on five hits in 1.1 innings, with two homers allowed. His damage came in the second inning of work.
- C Justin Miknis went 1-for-2, bringing in a run in the first inning with a bases loaded walk.
- RF-CF Jesus Castillo went 0-for-2 with two walks. He started each of the first two innings with a leadoff walk, and scored in both frames as the Marauders got out to a 4-0 lead before recording a single hit.
STATCAST HEROES
Jared Jones added 15 whiffs to his season total, giving him 58 through three starts. STATS
Antwone Kelly with some of the hardest stuff Bradenton will throw this week. STATS
DAILY VIDEO RUNDOWN
A few sliders from Jared Jones, who picked up 11 whiffs on the pitch.
https://twitter.com/PitchingNinja/status/1778564567301271887
Lonnie White’s fourth homer in six games.
https://twitter.com/CWolfPGH/status/1778569568073429036
Connor Oliver got off to a good start in his Pirates debut.
Welcome to the Pittsburgh Pirates organization Connor Oliver! The southpaw strikes out two batters in a scoreless inning. pic.twitter.com/hwvDV6RuJf
— Bradenton Marauders (@The_Marauders) April 11, 2024
ROSTER MOVES
Colin Holderman was activated off the 15-day injured list.
TODAY: PIRATES (9-4) AT PHILLIES (7-6)
Game Time: 6:40 PM EDT
Watch: SportsNet-PIT
Listen: KDKA-FM 93.7
Pirates Starter: Bailey Falter, LHP (0-0, 5.40)
Phillies Starter: Cristopher Sanchez, LHP (0-1, 4.82)
In the Minors…
- RHP Quinn Priester takes the mound for Indianapolis at 7:05 PM EST. This might change to Paul Skenes, as his start was postponed on Thursday.
- RHP Bubba Chandler will make his start for Altoona at 6:00 PM at home.
- Greensboro will finish their suspended game at 6:00 PM, followed by a game with RHP Patrick Reilly on the mound.
- Bradenton sends RHP Carlson Reed to the mound at 6:30 PM for his second start of the season.
PIRATES PROSPECTS DAILY
In today’s column, I looked at the David Bednar situation, and how the Pirates would be well suited to give him a temporary break from the closer’s role.
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THIS WEEK ON PIRATES PROSPECTS
Last week’s premium article drop looked at the top 50 prospects in the Pittsburgh Pirates system. This week looks at five hitters who can grade inside the top 30, plus a look at the path from rookie ball to the majors.
**Williams: The Path From Rookie Ball to the Major Leagues
In this subscriber-exclusive column, I give my view of the journey from Rookie Ball to the Major Leagues, and the elements that every player deals with along the way.
**Jack Brannigan is the Next Gold Glove Quality Third Baseman in the Pirates System
The Pirates have Gold Glove third basemen in Ke’Bryan Hayes and Jared Triolo. They’ve got another candidate in the system in power hitter Jack Brannigan.
**Mitch Jebb Brings Elite Speed and Swing Decisions to Greensboro
With so many three-true-outcome approaches in pro ball, 2023 second round pick Mitch Jebb brings a refreshing style of contact, speed, and hustle.
**Jase Bowen Has a Power/Speed/Defense Combo to Dream Upon
Following a 20-20 season in Greensboro, and with the ability to play center field or first base, Jase Bowen is a prospect with a lot of upside to dream upon.
**Tres Gonzales Brings Advanced Hitting Approach to Altoona
One of the most advanced hitters I watched last year was Tres Gonzales. His approach isn’t flashy, but he gets the job done with contact, on-base skills, and a bit of power.
**Rodolfo Nolasco Has Huge Power and Huge Swing and Miss
Some of the best raw power in the system belongs to Rodolfo Nolasco. He showed that with 20 homers in Single-A in 2023. He’ll need to improve the swing and miss to repeat at the higher levels.
SONG OF THE DAY
