Pirates Possess Sneakily Good Pitching Option in Indianapolis

The Pittsburgh Pirates have a bevy of talented young arms in their organization, whether it’s those already in the big leagues like Jared Jones and Paul Skenes or those still waiting in the wings in the minor leagues.

Within the next year or two, health and linear development permitting, one can expect to see prospects like Bubba Chandler, Thomas Harrington, Braxton Ashcraft and Anthony Solometo make their big league debuts… the latter two perhaps as soon as the end of this season.

While they hold plenty of talent, that hasn’t stopped the Pirates from churning through a carousel of different pitching options this season as injuries and a packed schedule demand. That includes players like Justin Bruihl, Daulton Jefferies, Dennis Santana, and even bigger names like 2019 first round draft pick Quinn Priester, all called up for a spot appearance or two before heading back to Indianapolis.

The Case for Jake Woodford

One option that deserves a chance and perhaps provides more staying power is Jake Woodford, formerly of the St. Louis Cardinals and, briefly, the Chicago White Sox. The 6-foot-4 right-hander is a sinker aficionado, inducing ground balls roughly 50 percent of the time throughout his big league career.

Woodford pitched to a 4.29 ERA in parts of four seasons for the Cardinals, spending time in both the bullpen and the starting rotation. He’s not a world beater—a team full of gold glove candidates behind him in St. Louis certainly helped him convert ground balls into outs—but he possesses the versatility to eat innings in just about any situation the Pirates ask for.

He joined the Indianapolis rotation upon signing with the Pirates’ organization on June 10, allowing three runs in 12 innings for a pair of quality starts since then.

Having a ground ball specialist enter with runners on base can help fill the gap for relievers who prefer to begin clean innings. With questions about how long of a leash Pittsburgh affords Skenes and Jones as they look to set new career highs in innings pitched, a player like Woodford could prove invaluable down the stretch, no matter if for one out, one inning, or one start at a time.