This week I’ve looked at the current value of every player on the 2024 Pittsburgh Pirates, along with the depth they have in Triple-A Indianapolis. Those two columns cover all of the players who you should expect to see in the big leagues this year.
Altoona has the three best remaining prospects in the system after the early promotions of Jared Jones and Paul Skenes. This group is heavy on pitching, which is a theme throughout the system. The hitting has struggled to live up to the talent of each player, which is another theme throughout the system.
While this group won’t start reaching the majors until 2025, today’s article looks at what to expect from the future of the 2024 Altoona Curve roster.
Above-Average Potential (55+ FV)
The top three prospects in the minor leagues are all in the Altoona rotation. The Pirates’ system is strong with pitching talent, and the next wave is developing in Double-A. This group could start to arrive as depth in the MLB rotation in 2025, though I wouldn’t count on the immediate above-average results shown by Jones and Skenes. Eventually, one or more of these arms can join those two and Mitch Keller to form one of the best home-grown rotations in baseball.
Bubba Chandler, RHP – Chandler is currently out with a forearm injury, but is the top prospect in the system once Skenes loses his eligibility. He’s got a fastball that gets up to 98-99 MPH, sitting mid-90s with good action. Chandler also throws a slider and changeup. He’s shown promise at times this year in Altoona, but has a 5.84 ERA in 24.2 innings, with a 30:18 K/BB ratio. Walks have been the biggest issue, with Chandler tending to over-throw when he lets game situations speed up on him.
Thomas Harrington, RHP – You could argue that Harrington is the top prospect in the system over Chandler. Just one year older, Harrington lacks the high-end velocity and dynamic stuff of Chandler. Where Harrington excels is with his ability to execute all of his pitches, along with a general feel for the art of pitching. In his first three Double-A starts, Harrington hasn’t allowed a run, striking out 12 in ten innings. He’s allowed one hit and two walks in that span. Chandler has the higher ceiling, but Harrington might be a safer bet to reach above-average results in the big leagues.
