Pirates Minor League Report: Hernandez Promotion, Sanford Emerging
The big news in the Pittsburgh Pirates minor-league system is that top pitching prospect Seth Hernandez’s next start will come with High-A Greensboro.
The Pirates promoted the right-hander from Low-A Bradenton to High-A Greensboro after a sizzling start to his professional career. Hernandez made six starts with the Marauders and led all pitchers in Low-A in ERA (0.96), strikeouts (50), WHIP (0.714) and batting average against (.135). In his six starts, the right-hander went a perfect 3-0 and logged 28 innings.
Hernandez has received plenty of attention this season, and rightfully so as one of the top pitching prospects in the sport. But several other minor-leaguers are having strong seasons, including an infield prospect with Greensboro.
Triple-A Indianapolis
Right-hander Antwone Kelly had one of his best starts of the season for the Indians. The organization’s No. 8 prospect fired a career-high 6.1 innings and held the Omaha Storm Chasers to one unearned run on four hits with one walk and five strikeouts. Kelly had gone at least six innings in three straight starts and has a 1.96 ERA (4er/18.1ip) during that span.
Veteran right-hander José Urquidy threw five no-hit innings in his start against Omaha on Saturday, a game in which outfield prospect Esmerlyn Valdez delivered a walk-off win.
Infielder Alika Williams is batting .346 with five doubles, a home run and five RBI this month. He ranks third in the International League with a .343 batting average on the season.
Double-A Altoona
Outfielder Will Taylor has reached base safely in seven straight games. He has two home runs, a double and eight walks during that stretch.
Left-handed pitching prospect Cy Nielson has tossed 12.1 scoreless innings in his last eight appearances dating back to April 16. On the year, he owns a miniscule 1.10 ERA with two saves in 11 appearances out of the bullpen.
High-A Greensboro
Wyatt Sanford is hitting .382 with five doubles, a home run, six RBI and a 1.093 OPS during his current eight-game hitting streak. Sanford, a second-round pick of the Pirates in 2024, is slashing .308/.421/.547 with eight doubles, a triple, six home runs, 19 RBI and 13 steals this season. He’s ranked as the No. 7 prospect in the organization.
Top prospect Edward Florentino is heating up after getting reinstated from the injured list. During his current six-game hitting streak, the 19-year-old is hitting .321 with three home runs and eight RBI.
Jared Jones (18 games) and Easton Carmichael (12 games) are riding lengthy on-base streaks. Jones is batting .338 with five doubles, four home runs, 10 RBI and a .992 OPS during his streak, and Carmichael is hitting .360 with two doubles, a triple, three home runs and 15 RBI over the course of his.
Low-A Bradenton
Jhostynxon García has hit safely in five of his first six games on rehab with Bradenton. He’s hitting .364 with a double, three home runs and six RBI during that time.
Murf Gray continues to rake for the Marauders. He’s hitting .353 with two doubles, three home runs, eight RBI and a 1.115 OPS in his first nine games of this month. Gray leads all Pirates full-season minor leaguers in batting (.353), RBI (29), OBP (.436), slugging (.588), OPS (1.024), hits (42), extra-base hits (16) and total bases (70).
Edgleen Perez is hitting .412 (28-for-68) with three doubles, one home run, 16 RBI and a .968 OPS in his last 18 games dating back to April 14. He leads the league in batting average during that time.
Dylan Palmer is currently on a 22-game on-base streak, which is the longest active streak in the FSL.
More about:Pirates Farm System