Pirates Minor League Report: Garcia Has 3-Homer Game, White Jr. Sizzles, Hernandez Debuts
Pittsburgh Pirates outfield prospect Jhostynxon Garcia returned from the injured list for Triple-A Indianapolis in a big way.
The 23-year-old belted three home runs as part of a 5 for 5 performance for the Indians against Louisville on Tuesday, becoming the third player in the International League this season to have a three-homer game. Over his last 10 games with Indianapolis dating back to April 8, Garcia is hitting .297 (11 for 37) with a .918 OPS.
Here’s a rundown of some other noteworthy performances and trends in the Pirates minor-league system, including the High-A debut of top prospect Seth Hernandez.
Triple-A Indianapolis
Garcia isn’t the only outfield prospect at Indianapolis playing well of late. Esmerlyn Valdez is riding a nine-game on-base streak. During that span, he’s batting .313 (10 for 32) with a 1.051 OPS, two doubles, three home runs and eight RBI. Valdez has upped his season OPS to .853 thanks to his recent hot streak.
Ronny Simon continues to rake. The 26-year-old, who played eight games for the Pirates last season, is batting .407 (11 for 27) with three doubles and a homer during his current seven-game hitting streak. He currently ranks sixth in the IL with a .342 batting average, which is paired with a .936 OPS.
On the mound, left-hander Hunter Barco allowed one run across 3.2 innings of relief on Friday and struck out seven of the 17 batters he faced. He has a 3.72 ERA with 16 strikeouts in 9.2 innings this month.
Double-A Altoona
Outfielder Lonnie White Jr. is adjusting to Double-A Altoona well. The 23-year-old has a home run in each of the last three games and carries a .462 batting average (6 for 13) with seven RBI during that stretch. Since his promotion to Altoona, he’s batting .296 with a .937 OPS, four doubles, four home runs, 10 RBI and three steals in 15 games.
Left-handed reliever Jaden Woods has retired 16 straight batters over his last two appearances and is currently tied for fifth amongst relievers in the Eastern League with 27 strikeouts in 18.2 innings. The 24-year-old is 1-1 this season with a 3.38 ERA in 12 appearances.
High-A Greensboro
Top prospect Seth Hernandez made his High-A debut and tossed five-scoreless innings. He did not allow a hit, walked four and struck out seven. The 19-year-old leads all full-season minor leaguers with a 0.82 ERA, a 0.71 WHIP and a .118 batting average against.
Pirates prospect Jared Jones is sizzling. Last year’s ninth-round draft pick has reached base safely in 23 straight games and is batting .372 (32 for 86) with a .471 on-base percentage, a .570 slug, five doubles, four home runs and 13 RBI during that time. On the year, Jones is batting .333 with a .902 OPS in 33 games.
Infielder Jhonny Severino has hit safely in each of his last nine games and is batting .400 (14 for 35) with four doubles, three home runs and six RBI during the streak.
Low-A Bradenton
Murf Gray, who is on an 11-game on-base streak, leads the Florida State League with five home runs in the month of May. The 22-year-old is slashing .359/.436/.606 with 11 doubles, eight home runs and 34 RBI in 38 games with the Marauders this season.
Catcher Edgleen Perez ranks third in the league this month with a .370 batting average. On May 9 against Dunedin, the 19-year-old hit his first home run since the 2024 season. Perez is batting .321 in 30 games on the year.
Right-hander Jack Anker, who was the FSL Pitcher of the Week last week, is 2-0 with a 1.65 ERA (3er/16.1ip), and a 0.98 WHIP over his last four appearances (two starts) dating back to April 23.
More about:Pirates Farm System