Pirates Prospect Watch: Two Big Pitching Prospects Impress

When it comes to Pittsburgh Pirates’ prospects, pitching depth can never be considered “too deep.”

Two of the Pirates’ pitching prospects with the highest upside showed their intrigue with big nights on the mound with Double-A Altoona and High-A Greensboro.

Jared Jones (Altoona) carried a no-hitter deep into Thursday’s game while Thomas Harrington (Greensboro) was spectacular in his second start since his promotion to High-A.

While Jones and Harrington stole the show, here are all the standouts from Thursday’s action.

Indianapolis (28-31)

RF/C Henry Davis

• Game stats: 2 for 5, one steal
• Season stats: .300/.417/.500, one triple, one RBI, one steal, three games

C Endy Rodriguez

• Game stats: 1 for 3, one double two RBIs
• Season stats: .253/.344/.404, seven doubles, three triples, four home runs, 19 RBIs, four steals, 41 games

The duo of Davis and Rodriguez continued with solid games at the plate, but Indianapolis was walloped 15-7 by the Omaha Storm Chasers.

Pirates prospects Nick Gonzales and Canaan Smith-Njigba combined to reach base five times and score three runs.

Altoona (28-24)

RHP Jared Jones

• Game stats: 6.1 innings, one hit, one run, one walk, five strikeouts
• Season stats: 1-3, 2.21 ERA, 10er/40.2ip, 27 hits, 13 walks, 41 strikeouts, nine appearances/nine starts

C Abrahan Gutierrez

• Game stats: 1 for 3, one double
• Season stats: .200/.273/.400, two doubles, three games

Despite Jones’ spectacular start, Altoona was defeated 2-0 by the Richmond Flying Squirrels. Gutierrez hit his second double in three games since his promotion to Double-A.

The only other Pirates’ prospect to record a hit was Liover Peguero, who finished the night 1 for 4.

Greensboro (29-23)

RHP Thomas Harrington

• Game stats: 7.0 innings, two hits, no runs, no walks, eight strikeouts
• Season stats: 0-0, 2.89 ERA, 3er/9.1ip, eight hits, no walks, 12 strikeouts, two appearances/two starts

1B Will Matthiessen

• Game stats: 1 for 3, one home run, one RBI, one run, one walk
• Season stats: .252/.357/.403, four doubles, one triple, four home runs, 15 RBIs, 35 games

Harrington was brilliant while Matthiessen provided all the offense needed in the Grasshoppers’ 1-0 win over the Wilmington Blue Rocks.

Pirates prospect Grant Ford improved to 3-0 with two innings of scoreless relief.

Bradenton (28-26)

DH Jack Brannigan

• Game stats: 1 for 3, one home run, one RBI, one run, one walk
• Season stats: .240/.406/.480, two doubles, two triples, four home runs, eight RBIs, nine steals, 23 games

RHP Joshua Loeschorn

• Game stats: 2.1 innings, no hits, no runs, no walks, four strikeouts
• Season stats: 2-2, 4.43 ERA, 11er/22.1ip, 17 hits, 10 walks, 30 strikeouts, 12 appearances

Brannigan is heating up at the plate and Loeschorn was brilliant out of the pen, but Bradenton lost 14-3 to the Dunedin Blue Jays.

Pirates prospects Termarr Johnson and Shalin Polanco each drove in a run.