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Today’s Opening Days Highlighted By Jared Jones, Paul Skenes, and Bubba Chandler

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Friday is Opening Day in so many places in the Pirates’ organization.

The big one is the home opener in Pittsburgh, which starts at 4:12 PM EST. That should be an event, with the Pirates bringing home the positive energy of a 6-1 start.

Altoona, Greensboro, and Bradenton open their seasons, with all but Altoona at home.

What really stands out is the lineup of pitching throughout the system. Paul Skenes, Jared Jones, and Bubba Chandler will all be starting, giving the Pirates three top 100 prospects on the mound on the same day.

Jones will be starting the home opener in Pittsburgh, looking to follow up on the excitement of his debut against the Marlins. He’ll be bringing the energy with upper 90s fastballs and a strikeout slider.

Skenes will once again start on the same day as Jones, and will hopefully get a chance to extend beyond last outings’ three perfect innings of work. It is interesting that Skenes and Jones have started on the same day twice now.

Chandler will be making his 2024 debut, and his second Double-A start. He pitched five shutout innings with one hit and eight strikeouts in his debut at the end of last season.

I’ve written recently about all three pitchers, with the articles being available to Pirates Prospects supporters on Patreon: Skenes | Jones | Chandler

I can’t recall a single day with more pitching power than this lineup. Skenes, Jones, and Chandler ranked as three of the top four prospects in the recent Pirates Prospects top 50 prospects rankings. Termarr Johnson, the fourth prospect in that ranking, will be making his season debut as well. The number five prospect, Anthony Solometo, is scheduled to start in Altoona on Sunday.

Minor league baseball fully kicks off with an amazing lineup on Friday night.

PIRATES BEAT THE NATIONALS

The Pirates took the series against the Nationals on Thursday, winning 7-4 in a game that wasn’t really that close.

The offense exploded with four runs in the first inning, giving Martin Perez plenty of room to work. This happened in his last start, and Perez didn’t handle it well, giving some runs back. This time around, he pitched a great game, allowing two runs in 6.2 innings of work, while striking out six. He was bailed out by Luis Ortiz, who stranded two runners and got the final out in the seventh.

By that point, the Pirates were already up 7-2. The offense got out to their early lead with a lot of small ball. Bryan Reynolds led the way, going 2-for-3 with RBI hits in both the first and second innings. He also had two walks. Rowdy Tellez picked up two hits on the day, and knocked in two in the first. Michael A. Taylor had three hits, and scored a run. The Pirates added the final two runs on a Connor Joe home run, which was his first of the season.

Ortiz allowed two runs in the eighth inning, and was relieved by Aroldis Chapman, who stranded two with the final out. David Bednar picked up his first save of the season, throwing a perfect inning with two strikeouts.

PROSPECT WATCH

Indianapolis beat Memphis 7-5, allowing four runs in the ninth inning of what was mostly a blowout game.

It was another solid outing for left-hander Michael Plassmeyer, who allowed one run in five innings of work, while striking out eight and walking one. He had a 37% called and swinging strike rate, with 10 whiffs and 17 called strikes in 73 pitches. Plassmeyer may have made it easier for the team to deal JT Brubaker, replacing him lower on the depth charts for a cheaper price.

Nick Gonzales has started the season hot, with a 1.000 OPS after going 2-for-5 with a double and two RBIs. Gilberto Celestino knocked in two and Jake Lamb picked up three hits. Malcom Nunez had a pair of doubles, and now has a 1.033 OPS through the first week of the season. Carter Bins continues hitting the ball hard, getting two hits, including a 104.3 MPH single.

Kyle Nicolas brought the gas out of the bullpen, averaging 96 MPH with his fastball. He threw a shutout inning, with his only base runner reaching on a two-out walk. Nicolas got out of the inning with a pop up on his hardest pitch at 96.5 MPH.

STATCAST HEROES

This was the second game where Martin Perez finished with a called and swinging strike rate of just under 30%, after being closer to 20% throughout his career. STATS

Joshua Palacios was hitting the ball hard, but only got a hit on one of these exit velocities, and it wasn’t the hardest one. STATS

DAILY VIDEO RUNDOWN

Here is a better look at that swing and miss stuff from Perez.

This is great to see from Rowdy Tellez early in games.

Connor Joe got all of this pitch. He’s having a great start to his 2024 season.

Jared Triolo showing off his plus defense at second base.

Here’s a look at Michael Plassmeyer picking up eight strikeouts in Triple-A.

The Indianapolis offense was on fire tonight, as was their social media team with the video packages.

TODAY: PIRATES (6-1) VS ORIOLES (4-2)

Game Time: 4:12 PM EDT
Watch: SportsNet-PIT
Listen: KDKA-FM 93.7

Pirates Starter: Jared Jones, RHP (1-0, 4.76)
Orioles Starter: Grayson Rodriguez, RHP (1-0, 1.50)

In the Minors…

  • Paul Skenes takes the mound for Indianapolis at 7:05 PM EST.
  • Bubba Chandler takes the mound for Altoona, also at 7:05 PM.
  • Termarr Johnson and Greensboro play at 6:30 PM EST, with no announced starter.
  • Bradenton starts 2023 fourth rounder Carlson Reed at 6:30 PM EST.

PIRATES PROSPECTS DAILY

In my latest column, I wrote about how Pittsburgh deserves a long winning streak from the Pirates.

Williams: Pittsburgh Deserves a Long Winning Streak From the Pirates

Check the site at noon on Friday for a look at the Pirates’ minor league rosters.

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THIS WEEK ON PIRATES PROSPECTS

**2024 Pittsburgh Pirates Top 50 Tiered Rankings Version 1.0

The top 50 prospects in the Pittsburgh Pirates system, plus a few more, separated into tiered rankings to give you an idea of who could be starters and who could be depth.

**Indianapolis Will Provide Paul Skenes and Depth For the Pirates in 2024

Paul Skenes leads a group of prospects in Triple-A who will provide the Pirates with depth throughout the 2024 season.

**Altoona Features the Best Prospect Group in the Pirates System in 2024

The best prospect group, from the start of the year through the end of the year, will be found in Altoona.

**Greensboro is Loaded With Hitting Talent At the Start of the 2024 Season

The hitters at the top of the Greensboro prospect group will have fun hitting in that home park with zero outfield space.

**Bradenton Has One of The Best Upside Prospect Groups in Years

There’s a group of high upside players making their way to full-season ball, and it could be one of the best Single-A groups in years for the Pirates.

**Five Players in Rookie Ball Who You Should Watch in the Pirates System

Five players in rookie ball who stand out as some of the most promising options in the entire Pirates system.

SONG OF THE DAY

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Tim Williams
Tim Williams
Tim is the owner, producer, editor, and lead writer of PiratesProspects.com. He has been running Pirates Prospects since 2009, becoming the first new media reporter and outlet covering the Pirates at the MLB level in 2011 and 2012. His work can also be found in Baseball America, where he has been a contributor since 2014 and the Pirates' correspondent since 2019.

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