After looking at the stats for the 2019 draft picks last Sunday, I wanted to do the same for the 2018 draft picks. The Pirates signed a total of 33 draft picks last year. The list below is broken down into groups by their current team. I also included the five non-draft free agents still in the system. I didn’t include Zach Spears, who had shoulder surgery this season and hasn’t played, or Jake Mielock, the 40th round pick, who was released during the spring. I put an asterisk next to the three high school draft picks, who are all 19 years old now. Stats are through Friday night.
ALTOONA
Nick Mears, RHP, NDFA – Includes Greensboro/Bradenton stats 3.59 ERA, 42.2 IP, 1.03 WHIP, .185 BAA, 62:16 SO/BB
BRADENTON
GREENSBORO
MORGANTOWN
BRISTOL
GCL PIRATES
PLAYOFF PUSH
Indianapolis has been eliminated from the playoffs.
Altoona has been eliminated from the playoffs.
Bradenton has been eliminated from the playoffs.
Greensboro has 9 games left. They trail by 6 1/2 in the division and they are 3 1/2 games back for the second best record, which could possibly get them a playoff spot.
Morgantown has 10 games left. They trail by a 1/2 game in the division and one game in the wild card.
Bristol has 4 games left. They are a 1/2 game out of first place and a 1/2 game ahead of the third place team. Two teams make the playoffs in each division.
GCL Pirates have been eliminated from the playoffs.
DSL Pirates1 have been eliminated from the playoffs.
DSL Pirates2 have clinched a playoff spot
TODAY’S SCHEDULE
Today’s Starter and Notes: The Pittsburgh Pirates won 14-0 over the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday night. They will send out Dario Agrazal for his ninth Major League start in the series finale. He pitched two scoreless innings of relief on Wednesday. His last start for the Pirates was back on August 5th against the Milwaukee Brewers, where he allowed five runs over five innings. In his prior start, Agrazal lasted 3.2 innings against Cincinnati, giving up three runs. The Reds will counter with veteran right-hander Trevor Bauer, who has a 4.06 ERA in 179.2 innings, with a 1.23 WHIP and 215 strikeouts. Most of those stats happened while he was with the Cleveland Indians. In four starts with the Reds, he has been knocked out of the game before five full innings twice, and thrown seven strong innings twice. In the two down outings, Bauer allowed 12 runs over nine innings. In the other two starts, he has given three earned runs over 14 innings, while striking out 22 batters.
The minor league schedule includes six games today. Beau Sulser will start for Altoona. He gave up one earned run over six innings in his last start. Sulser has a 3.32 ERA as a starter and 2.25 as a reliever. Since being named as our Player of the Week for his six no-hit innings on August 10th, Greensboro starter Noe Toribio has allowed seven runs on 12 hits and eight walks in eight innings. Bradenton doesn’t have a starter listed, but it should be Aaron Shortridge, who leads the FSL with 130.2 innings pitched this season. He ranks fifth in the league with his 1.13 WHIP and sixth with his 3.10 ERA. Morgantown is sending out Grant Ford, who will be pitching for just the third time on the road. He gave up two runs over 4.2 innings in his last start, which is his longest outing in his brief career.
Bristol starter Adrian Florencio threw four shutout innings in his last game. His worst outing of the season came on July 17th against today’s opponent (Johnson City) when he gave up six runs in 4.2 innings. He faced them in his prior outing six days earlier and gave up just one run over 4.1 innings. The DSL regular season is over. The Pirates2 received a first round bye, so their playoffs will start later next week. The GCL Pirates have off on Sundays. Indianapolis doesn’t have a starter listed.
MLB: Pittsburgh (54-75) vs Reds (60-68) 1:35 PM
Probable starter: Dario Agrazal (4.09 ERA, 20:12 SO/BB, 44.0 IP)
AAA: Indianapolis (64-67) vs Louisville (53-78) 2:00 PM (season preview)
Probable starter: TBD
AA: Altoona (66-65) @ Bowie (71-60) 1:35 PM (season preview)
Probable starter: Beau Sulser (2.48 ERA, 57:24 SO/BB, 87.0 IP)
High-A: Bradenton (70-60) vs Daytona (62-67) 1:00 PM (season preview)
Probable starter: Aaron Shortridge (3.10 ERA, 102:25 SO/BB, 130.2 IP)
Low-A: Greensboro (75-54) @ Hickory (77-49) 5:00 PM (season preview)
Probable starter: Noe Toribio (4.68 ERA, 25:12 SO/BB, 25.0 IP)
Short-Season A: Morgantown (36-30) @ State College (34-33) 6:05 PM (season preview)
Probable starter: Grant Ford (3.24 ERA, 33:16 SO/BB, 33.1 IP)
Rookie: Bristol (32-31) @ Johnson City (33-31) 5:00 PM (season preview)
Probable starter: Adrian Florencio (4.26 ERA, 34:22 SO/BB, 44.1 IP)
GCL: Pirates (17-34) vs Braves (17-30) 12:00 PM 8/26 (season preview)
DSL: Pirates1 (34-36) (season preview)
DSL: Pirates2 (56-16) vs TBD (season preview)
HIGHLIGHTS
From Indianapolis on Friday, Ke’Bryan Hayes goes up the middle for one of his four hits on the day
You know who’s hot? This guy.@Toyota | #RollTribe pic.twitter.com/ID6laZcUvi
— Indianapolis Indians (@indyindians) August 24, 2019
Will Craig goes the other way to drive in a run
R-B-I machine, @WCraigers22. His 71 ribbies are the most by a Tribe player since 2011!
RECENT TRANSACTIONS
8/22: Darnell Sweeney placed on Indianapolis injured list.
8/22: Blake Cederlind promoted to Indianapolis. Kevin Kramer activated from Indianapolis injured list.
8/22: Osvaldo Bido activated from injured list. Ryan Valdes placed on Bradenton injured list.
8/22: Quinn Priester promoted to Greensboro.
8/21: Chris Archer and Clay Holmes placed on injured list. Pirates recall Dario Agrazal and Parker Markel.
8/21: Michael Flynn assigned to GCL Pirates on rehab
8/20: Richard Rodriguez activated from injured list. Montana DuRapau optioned to Indianapolis.
8/20: Pirates release Austin Coley.
8/20: Sean Keselica placed on Indianapolis injured list.
8/19: Cole Tucker optioned to Indianapolis.
8/18: Pirates add Montana DuRapau to roster.
8/18: Elvis Escobar activated from Altoona injured list. Tom Koehler placed on injured list.
8/17: Nick Mears promoted to Altoona. Cody Bolton placed on Altoona injured list. Ryan Valdes added to Bradenton.
8/17: Colin Selby placed on Greensboro injured list. Oliver Garcia promoted to Greensboro.
8/16: Pirates release Jake Brentz. Mitchell Tolman and Darnell Sweeney promoted to Indianapolis.
8/16: Adrian Valerio and Jesse Medrano promoted to Altoona. Chase Lambert and Raul Siri added to Bradenton roster.
8/16: Pirates recall Cole Tucker. Geoff Hartlieb optioned to Indianapolis.
8/15: Kevin Kramer placed on Indianapolis injured list.
8/14: Pirates sign Francis Olantilo.
8/13: Pirates sign Isaias Dipre.
THIS DATE IN PIRATES HISTORY
Three former Pittsburgh Pirates players born on this date, plus two transactions of note. We start with the acquisition of Wilbur Cooper in 1912. He was 20 years old and pitching in the minors when the Pirates traded two players to be named later to get him. Cooper would stick around until 1924 and collect 202 wins with the Pirates, which is a franchise record. He led the NL with 22 wins and 327 innings pitched in 1921. From 1918 until 1922, he won at least 19 games every season. You can read more on Cooper here.
On this date in 1959, the Pirates traded away outfielder Ted Kluszewski for veteran outfielder Harry Simpson and a minor league third baseman named Bob Sagers. The Pirates got nine games out of Simpson and Sagers never made the majors. Kluszewski was once a feared power hitter, but a back injury really limited his power and the Pirates obviously didn’t miss him too much, since they won the World Series the next year.
The former players born on this date include:
Gary Mathews Jr, center fielder for the 2001 Pirates. He was a waiver pickup of the Pirates in August and became the regular center fielder the rest of the season.
Jim Suchecki, 1952 pitcher. He originally signed with the Red Sox at the age of 15 in 1943, but he didn’t make it to the majors until 1950. Suchecki made five relief appearances for Pirates before they lost him on waivers.
Tony Boeckel, third baseman in 1917 and 1919. Hit .259 in 109 games for the Pirates. Missed 1918 due to the war. Boeckel is unfortunately known as the first active Major League player to die in a car accident, which happened in 1923 at the age of thirty.
