Pirates Minor League Report: No. 13 RHP Zander Mueth Adjusting to A-Ball

Pirates’ affiliates played an abbreviated two game schedule on Labor Day, with the Indianapolis Indians boat racing the Toledo Mud Hens 12-1 before Zander Mueth and the Bradenton Marauders got taken down 7-2. Mueth, who was named the Florida Complex League Pitcher of the Year last month and sits as the Pirates’ No. 12 prospect on MLB Pipeline, allowed three runs in four innings on Monday. After chewing through rookie ball to the tune of a 1.58 ERA in 13 appearances, it’s been rougher going for Mueth in affiliate ball, as the 2023 compensatory pick has pitched to a 4.58 ERA in six starts with Bradenton… still a perfectly reasonable margin for a 19-year-old playing his first season of professional baseball.

Mike Burrows pitched four innings of one run ball for Indianapolis. Execution still isn’t all the way there as the 24-year-old continues to rebound from last season’s Tommy John surgery: he threw just 44 of 75 pitches for strikes, part of which cued his early exit.

Jack Suwinski and 2022 deadline acquisition Malcom Nuñez each made it on base four times, with the former hitting two doubles.

Triple-A Indianapolis (66-64)

RHP Mike Burrows

• Game: 4 IP, 1 ER, 4 K’s.
• Season: 39.2 IP, 4.99 ERA, 43 K’s in 13 appearances (12 starts) throughout the farm system.

3B Malcom Nuñez

• Game: 3-for-4 with a double.
• Season: .256/.317/.384 with 19 doubles and 11 homers in 113 games.

Single-A Bradenton (52-75)

RHP Zander Mueth

• Game: 4 IP, 3 ER, 6 K’s.
• Season: 71 IP, 2.41 ERA, 78 K’s in 19 appearances (18 starts) between rookie ball and Bradenton.

RF Will Taylor

• Game: 2-for-4 with a double.
• Season: .200/.339/.380 with 3 doubles and 2 homers in 14 games.