The Greensboro Grasshoppers are going to the post-season, after clinching a division title for the first time since 2012.
On Thursday night, the Grasshoppers clinched the first half division title in the South Atlantic League North with a 39-26 record, after a win against Hudson Valley. The South Atlantic League divides their season up into two halves, with the winners from each part of the season making the playoffs.
Greensboro has featured one of the better teams in the Pittsburgh Pirates system this year. The group has not only been good enough to lead the Grasshoppers to the playoffs, but they feature several players who could get the call to Double-A Altoona before the playoffs are even played.
Below are the players who stood out for Greensboro in the first half, with a chance for some of them to move up to Double-A in the second half.
The Greensboro Hitters
The home park in Greensboro is very hitter friendly, with almost zero space in the gaps, which leads to either singles or home runs a lot of the time. The best hitters this year have performed both at home and on the road, removing the park factor questions about their performances.
Charles McAdoo, 3B – McAdoo has been the most consistent hitter in Greensboro, after being drafted in the 13th round by the Pirates last year. He’s batting .336/.415/.561 with nine homers and 14 stolen bases, while learning third base. He’s the most deserving to move up to Altoona, which will be a big test for his bat. McAdoo has actually performed better on the road this year, with a 1.002 OPS, compared to a .942 OPS at home.
Nick Cimillo, 1B – Cimillo has shown the best power at the level, with 12 home runs after hitting two in last night’s clinching victory. He’s batting .314/.414/.644, and has an OPS over 1.000 at both home and on the road. Drafted as a catcher, he profiles better as a first base/DH type. The Pirates don’t have any standout prospects at the corner position, and could give Cimillo a shot to carry his power to the next level as a first baseman in Altoona in the second half.
P.J. Hilson, OF – The Pirates added Hilson in the minor league Rule 5 draft this past offseason. He’s hitting for a .278/.369/.515 line with seven homers and six stolen bases. Hilson is crushing the ball at home, with a 1.004 OPS. He is doing well on the road, with an .818 OPS. The Pirates could give Hilson a push to Double-A, or keep him in Single-A as a leader for this playoff team.
Shawn Ross, C – Ross rivals Cimillo in the power department, but is more of a three-outcomes hitter. He’s batting .190/.370/.508 with 12 homers. Despite the home park, Ross has performed better on the road, with seven of his homers and a .915 OPS. He’s not hitting for average anywhere, and that could be what holds him back in Greensboro for the playoff run.
The Greensboro Pitchers
The home park is a boost for hitters, but a nightmare for Greensboro pitchers. Still, a few of their starters have put up impressive numbers this year, helping to lead this group to the playoffs.
Patrick Reilly, RHP – Reilly has been one of the biggest surprises this year, after being drafted in the fifth round last year. He has a 3.81 ERA in 56.2 innings, with 74 strikeouts and 31 walks. Control has been the big issue, but he features a mid-90s fastball and a slider combo that takes the bat out of opposing hitters’ hands. The strikeouts have helped him to a 2.93 ERA in 27.2 innings at home, with 40 strikeouts in those innings. He’s definitely a candidate to move up to Double-A by the end of the year.
Hunter Barco, LHP – Barco was a second rounder in 2022, recovering from Tommy John at the time. This is his first full season, and he’s got a 3.75 ERA in 48 innings, with 56 strikeouts and 19 walks. He’s performed well in any park. Barco is working with a new slider and changeup this year, while expanding his arsenal to include five pitches. After he gets used to the expanded arsenal, he could be an option to move to Double-A. The Pirates will be monitoring his innings, so it’s not a guarantee he moves up and misses the playoffs down here at the easier level.
Dominic Perachi, LHP – Perachi pitched six shutout innings in the clinching win last night. He’s got a 1.99 ERA in 40.2 innings this year in High-A, and spent a few outings in Double-A as depth last month. He’s since returned to Greensboro, and has looked great as a starter. The 2022 11th rounder could be a sleeper option to move up to Altoona in a more permanent role in the second half.
Luis Peralta, LHP – Peralta has been strictly a reliever, but he’s been lights out. The younger brother of MLB pitcher Freddy Peralta has an 0.64 ERA in 28 innings of relief, while striking out 47 batters and walking 14. Control is an issue, but he’s striking out well more than a batter an inning, and holding hitters to a .129 average against. He’ll either be a shutdown reliever for the playoffs, or he’ll get a chance to show what he can do in Double-A.
Playoff Prospects
While the Greensboro first half squad has plenty of players who warrant a promotion, some of the top prospects at the level might still be around by the time the playoffs start.
Termarr Johnson, 2B – On the season, Johnson hasn’t been hitting like you’d expect from a fourth overall pick who was drafted for his contact skills. Over the last month, those results have improved. Johnson has a .272/.394/.495 line in 127 plate appearances since May 18th. He moved up to High-A in the second half last year, and the Pirates could move him to Altoona in the second half this year if he keeps up this hitting. Otherwise, he could get his first experience on a playoff roster by remaining with the team for the remainder of the season.
Lonnie White Jr., OF – This is the first full season for White, who was drafted 64th overall in 2021, and signed away from Penn State on an over-slot deal. He’s hitting for power, with ten homers in 211 plate appearances. He’s not hitting beyond the power numbers, with a .178/.275/.389 line. The second half will be big for White, giving him a chance to show a more rounded offensive output. He’s more likely to be around for the playoffs than Johnson.
Alessandro Ercolani, RHP – Ercolani has pitched as a starter this year, but more recently has been scaled back to long-relief. The 20-year-old starter has an advanced six pitch mix, and shows promise at times. Overall, he has a 4.99 ERA in 39.2 innings, with a 47:17 K/BB. He could be a sleeper in the rotation during the second half, joining some promotion candidates from Bradenton.
Help From Bradenton
The Marauders don’t have many standout hitters in Single-A this year. Most of their hitters show promise, but are in their first full season, and might not fare well with a higher level playoff challenge at the end of the year. There are some pitchers who could give the High-A team a boost come playoff time.
Carlson Reed, RHP – Reed was drafted in the fourth round last year as a reliever out of West Virginia. The Pirates have worked him as a starter this year, and the move has gone well. He has a 2.29 ERA in 55 innings across 12 starts, with 68 strikeouts and 31 walks. Reed features three average or better pitches, but below-average control is a concern. He’s fully stretched out in Single-A, and could be a replacement in Greensboro if the Pirates move up Reilly and/or Barco.
Khristian Curtis, RHP – I think Curtis is the other potential replacement in High-A if the Pirates promote some of their college starters from Greensboro to Altoona. Curtis was drafted in the 12th round out of Arizona State last year, and doesn’t have much experience on the mound. He does have a six pitch mix, led by a mid-90s fastball. In 49.1 innings this year, he has a 4.01 ERA and a 53:27 K/BB ratio. He and Reed are the top candidates to help Greensboro by the end of the year.
Antwone Kelly, RHP – The sleeper from this group is Antwone Kelly, a 20-year-old starter who is having a breakout in the Bradenton rotation over the last two months. Kelly has a 3.81 ERA in 54.1 innings on the season, with a 54:22 K/BB. Since the start of May, he has a 2.01 ERA in 40.1 innings, with a 43:14 K/BB. The Pirates might opt to give him a full season at the same level, but he has some of the best stuff in the Bradenton rotation, and lately has some of the best results.
Garret Forrester, C – After being drafted in the third round last year, Forrester is batting .262/.421/.381 in Bradenton. That’s not a great line from a college hitter drafted for his plate patience and contact skills. The Pirates have worked Forrester behind the plate this year, and he can also play the corner infield spots. He’d be a promotion candidate to the higher level if the Pirates move Cimillo up to Altoona.
Pirates Prospect Watch
Zander Mueth, drafted 67th overall last year as an over-slot prep pitcher, threw five shutout innings in the FCL yesterday. He struck out seven hitters, making this the second start in a row where Mueth has struck out seven in five shutout innings. Read more about the 18-year-old right-hander in the latest Pirates Prospect Watch.
Pirates Prospect Watch: Zander Mueth is Shutting Out Rookie Ball Hitters
I’ve been recapping the Pirates’ draft efforts, and my latest column looked at the 2021 draft, when the Pirates picked first overall.
Williams: How Does the Pirates 2021 Draft Approach Look Three Years Later?
If you missed yesterday’s First Pitch, I looked at how the next eight months will reveal if the Pirates are serious about winning, from the owner all the way down to the players.
First Pitch: The Next Eight Months Will Reveal if the Pirates Are Serious About Winning
