The Pittsburgh Pirates scaled back the workload of left-handed pitcher Hunter Barco this month. Barco opened the month allowing eight runs in 4.2 innings across two starts. On June 16th, he was moved to relief, pitching one inning. He had an opener on June 22nd, pitching four shutout innings.
On Friday, Barco returned to the rotation, throwing five no-hit innings for Greensboro, with a walk and nine strikeouts. The strikeout total was a career-high, eclipsing the seven strikeout mark that he’s hit five times in his career, including four times this year.
The Pirates drafted Barco in the second round in 2022, but he was recovering from recent Tommy John surgery at the time. He didn’t make his pro debut until the second half of 2023, and this is his first full season.
Barco had a 2.55 ERA in 42.1 innings heading into this month, with a 51:13 K/BB ratio. Even after the rough start to June, he has a 3.16 ERA in 57 innings, with an impressive 72:22 K/BB.
I wrote about Barco for Baseball America last month. He’s seen a velocity increase to sitting around 94 MPH, while working on a sharper cutter this year, and eventually working to add a new changeup to complement his forkball splitter that he currently uses as a changeup offering. Barco was sitting with the same velocity last night, while getting swing and miss on several of his pitches.
Hunter Barco (@Pirates No. 12 prospect) K's a career-high nine batters while twirling five no-hit innings for the High-A @GSOHoppers. pic.twitter.com/liKySdyGo7
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) June 29, 2024
Greensboro ended up winning the game 14-1, led by the five shutout frames from Barco.
TRIPLE-A: INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS
INDIANAPOLIS lost 14-7
- DH Joshua Palacios: 4-for-5, 2B, 3 RBI
- RF Ji-Hwan Bae: 3-for-5
- SS Liover Peguero: 2-for-5
- LF Matt Fraizer: 1-for-4, 2B
- C Joey Bart: 1-for-3
Indianapolis allowed nine runs in the first inning, with starter Luis Cessa allowing seven runs, but only one earned, in 0.2 innings. The unearned runs were due to a throwing error from Cessa, which allowed the inning to be extended for an eventual grand slam. Indianapolis started with a three run lead, after RBI singles from Palacios and Malcom Nunez.
STATCAST HEROES
Palacios had four hits on the day, including two in excess of 100 MPH exit velocities. His double was 101.3 MPH, traveling 363 feet.
DOUBLE-A: ALTOONA CURVE
ALTOONA lost 4-2
- RHP Thomas Harrington: 5.0 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6 K
- SS Tsung-Che Cheng: 2-for-3, 2B
- 1B Joe Perez: 1-for-3, HR, 2 RBI
- 2B Jackson Glenn: 1-for-3, 2B
- RHP Enmanuel Chapman: 2.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K
Thomas Harrington pitched his first full month with Altoona in June. He combined for a 3.46 ERA in 26 innings, with a 25:3 K/BB. He allowed five earned runs in five innings during his first start, but only five earned runs in 21 innings over his next four. Joe Perez hit his sixth homer of the year. Tsung-Che Cheng hit his tenth double.
HIGH-A: GREENSBORO GRASSHOPPERS
GREENSBORO won 14-1, led by Hunter Barco’s start.
- 1B Nick Cimillo: 1-for-2, HR, 2 BB, 3 R, 4 RBI
- LF Lonnie White Jr.: 2-for-4, 3B, HR, BB, 3 RBI
- CF P.J. Hilson: 1-for-5, 2B, 2 RBI
- DH Geovany Planchart: 2-for-5, RBI
- RF Josiah Sightler: 1-for-3, BB, 2 RBI
Nick Cimillo hit his 13th homer of the season. It was a grand slam in the third inning, giving Greensboro a 6-0 lead at the time. Lonnie White Jr. hit his 11th homer of the year, a solo shot in the seventh to extend the score to 10-0. White also hit a triple in the fifth inning, knocking in two runs.
SINGLE-A: BRADENTON MARAUDERS
BRADENTON lost 5-2 in a rain-shortened game.
- RHP Aaron Shortridge: 2.1 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
- DH Omar Alfonzo: 1-for-2, BB
- LF Solomon Maguire: 1-for-2, HR, 2 RBI
- 3B Juan Jerez: 1-for-2
- LHP Connor Oliver: 3.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K
Aaron Shortridge made a rehab appearance, allowing four runs, three earned, with three of those runs coming in the third inning. Connor Oliver took over in the fourth inning, and may have pitched longer if the game wasn’t shortened. Solomon Maguire hit his sixth homer of the year, giving the Marauders a brief 2-1 lead in the top of the third inning.
STATCAST HEROES
Shortridge averaged 91 MPH with his fastball, picking up a 30% CSW with the pitch, due to called strikes. He had a 31% CSW on the slider, due to two whiffs on four swings, plus the ability to throw that pitch for strikes. Oliver had three whiffs each on the four-seam and cutter.
ROOKIE: FCL PIRATES
FCL PIRATES won 1-0
- SS Jhonny Severino: 1-for-3, HR, RBI
- RHP Greiber Mendez: 3.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 5 K
- 3B Carlos Caro: 1-for-3
- 1B Tony Blanco Jr.: 1-for-3
- C Richard Ramirez: 1-for-3
The Pirates combined four four hits and one walk on the day, with the lone run coming from a leadoff homer by Jhonny Severino. It was his eighth of the year. He’s batting .280 with a .948 OPS. Greiber Mendez pitched 3.1 scoreless innings in relief, striking out five.
ROOKIE: DSL PIRATES BLACK
DSL PIRATES BLACK won 4-0
- RF Andres Villafane: 1-for-3, HR, RBI
- RHP Marlon Quintana: 4.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
- 3B Michell Ojeda: 1-for-3, SB
Andres Villafane hit his first homer of the season, and the first in his career across 81 plate appearances, after making a brief debut in 2023. Marlon Quintana signed on April 1st this year, and had his best start across four appearances so far.
ROOKIE: DSL PIRATES GOLD
DSL PIRATES GOLD won 6-4
- LF Miguel Rodriguez: 2-for-4, 3B, RBI
- RHP Dariel Francia: 3.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K
- 1B Edward Florentino: 1-for-5, 2B, RBI
Dariel Francia pitched 3.2 perfect innings in relief, picking up his third win of the season. In four relief appearances, he has an 0.87 ERA in 10.1 innings, with a 14:5 K/BB.
SATURDAY’S SCHEDULE
- Triple-A: Indianapolis, 6:45 PM – RHP Domingo German (2-4, 5.55)
- Double-A: Altoona, 6:00 PM – RHP Po-Yu Chen (2-6, 4.43)
- High-A: Greensboro, 7:05 PM – RHP Patrick Reilly (3-4, 4.03)
- Single-A: Bradenton, 6:30 PM – RHP Mike Burrows (0-0, 5.40)
- Rookie: FCL Pirates, 11:00 AM – TBD
- Rookie: DSL Pirates Black, 11:00 AM – TBD
- Rookie: DSL Pirates Gold OFF
