When the Pirates announced their Opening Day rosters for each of their minor league affiliates, Bradenton was a very intriguing one. They had a blend of college players, and younger prospects with a higher ceiling, but without much of an established floor.
Two of the bigger names originally listed, Termarr Johnson and Shalin Polanco, both would miss the start of the season with injuries, with the latter joining the Marauders sooner than the former.
With some of the more raw players taking on some prominent roles on the roster, it probably wouldn’t have been the most surprising thing to see them struggle out the gate – and to an extent they did. Bradenton dropped two of three against Clearwater to begin the season, but have since won eight of 10 games they have played.
With their win on Friday night, they’ve now won seven in a row and have posted back-to-back shutouts against Daytona after their 8-0 victory.
It’s been a blend of both pitching and hitting, as players like Enmanuel Terrero and Tres Gonzales each have 10 or more hits during the winning streak, with Alessandro Ercolani and Thomas Harrington also putting in strong outings on back-to-back nights, things are clicking in Bradenton.
Now factor in the return of Johnson, who drove in two runs on a single on Friday, and the Marauders have a team with plenty to get excited for, both watching now and the future.
PROSPECT NOTES
— The Bradenton infield just got a lot more intriguing with the addition of Johnson, for however long he’s at the level. Jesus Castillo has shown great plate awareness, even if he’s in a mini-slump right now and they haven’t got the hitting from Javier Rivas that we saw in the FCL last year.
He’s hitting the ball really hard right now, it just looks like it’s a matter of timing and squaring things up. Going into Friday night’s game, Rivas had an average exit velocity of 93.6 mph, but a launch angle of -1.76.
— More strong pitching performances throughout the system, which is becoming a daily theme. Harrington, Braxton Ashcraft, and Sean Sullivan all had scoreless outings for their respective teams.
Really no hiding what the strength of the system is anymore.
Daily Video Rundown
Make it 3-0, thanks to @Jakegonzo10!
LISTEN: https://t.co/aioWvW3Svf
WATCH: https://t.co/6GP894jPtF pic.twitter.com/fpkj5GTeSe— Altoona Curve (@AltoonaCurve) April 21, 2023
Jacob Gonzalez drills this pitch down the third base line, driving in a run to give Altoona a 3-0 lead in the first inning.
Guess who’s back!!!! That’s 2RBI for Termarr w this double #hitter pic.twitter.com/6Cx5H1tNzw
— Florida Prospect Report (@FLProspectPod) April 21, 2023
In his second at bat of the season, Johnson drives in a pair of runs with this single, advancing to second on an error in the outfield.
#pirates RHP prospect Thomas Harrington had a strong opening inning. 3k’s and a CS that they didn’t need. Carry it over? #nasty pic.twitter.com/1T4FgJU7Yy
— Florida Prospect Report (@FLProspectPod) April 21, 2023
Harrington strikes out the side in the first inning. He would go on to strikeout four across five innings. Bonus points to Wyatt Hendrie for that cannon to get the runner anyways at the end of the inning.
PIRATES PROSPECTS DAILY
By Tim Williams
The Pirates have now won five games in a row for the first time since 2019.
Pirates Recap: The Streak Goes on as Pirates Top Reds
Prospect Watch: Termarr Johnson Returns; Harrington and Ashcraft Look Strong
**Ryan Palencer has his latest report from Indianapolis, looking at how Tucupita Marcano’s offseason work led to an early promotion to Pittsburgh.
**From yesterday, Anthony looked at how pitching continues to be the strength of the system.
**In my latest column, I looked at success and a singular approach: Baked Alaska
SONG OF THE DAY
I’ll be picking up their live album today at my local shop for Record Store Day.
