Pirates Minor League Updates: Stock Up/Stock Down for Top Prospects (+)
The 2024 minor-league season is just about wrapped up. Triple-A Indianapolis is the lone affiliate for the Pittsburgh Pirates still in action. Their season ends on Sunday.
The Pirates’ top prospects list looks a lot different than it did at the beginning of the season for several reasons. Pitchers Paul Skenes and Jared Jones graduated. The 2024 draft resulted in several new top prospects, including Konnor Griffin, who was selected by the Pirates with the ninth pick.
There were also a couple of trades executed by the Pirates at the trade deadline. Nick Yorke was acquired by the Boston Red Sox and became one of the organization’s top prospects. He made his MLB debut in Monday’s loss to the Cardinals. Further down the list, the Pirates landed Billy Cook, who joined the big-league club earlier this month.
As for the rest of the Pirates’ top prospects, some have ascended given their 2024 performance while others have tumbled.
1. RHP Bubba Chandler: Stock Up
Chandler began the season with Double-A Altoona and impressed. In 19 appearances/16 starts, the right-hander went 6-7 with a 3.70 ERA and struck out 94 batters in 80.1 innings. His performance led to a midseason promotion to Indianapolis.
Once the 22-year-old reached Triple-A, he took a step further and has dominated since joining the Pirates’ top affiliate. Through his first six starts, Chandler is 4-0 with a sparkling 1.59 ERA. He’s racked up 46 strikeouts and has only allowed 19 hits in 34 innings.
Chandler has emerged as the undoubted No. 1 prospect in the organization and is establishing himself as one of the more intriguing pitching prospects in baseball.
2. 2B Termarr Johnson: Stock Down
Johnson, the Pirates’ first-round pick in 2022, spent most of the season with High-A Greensboro. While with the Grasshoppers, Johnson only managed a .238 batting average but posted a healthy .372 on-base percentage to go along with 17 doubles, 13 homers and 20 stolen bases.
He was recently promoted to Altoona where he started slowly but started to find his groove to end the season.
Though he may never be as good of a contact hitter as initially thought, to be a 20-year-old in Double-A is quite a feat. For that reason, his stock is down, but not drastically.
3. RHP Braxton Ashcraft: Stock Neutral
Ashcraft’s 2024 is similar to Chandler’s. He started the season in Double-A before getting bumped up a level and dominating. In five appearances with Indianapolis after his promotion, Ashcraft posted a miniscule 0.47 ERA (1er/19.1ip) after going 2-2 with a 3.69 ERA in 11 appearances with Altoona.
But a recurring forearm injury has been a concern for Ashcraft. Despite a strong year on the mound, we’ll call his stock neutral until there is some more clarity on the injury front.
4. RHP Thomas Harrington: Stock Up
Yet another pitcher who split time between Double-A and Triple-A this season, Harrington’s status has risen given his performance in the upper-levels of the Pirates’ system.
Harrington owned a 2.24 ERA with Altoona prior to his promotion and went 4-1 with a 3.51 ERA in seven starts with Indy. Combined between the two levels, Harrington only issued 16 walks and struck out 107 in 109.1 innings.
5. INF/OF Nick Yorke: Stock Up
Yorke’s status was already rising before the trade to the Pirates took place. Once he joined his new organization, he ensured the trend continued. In 40 games with Indianapolis, Yorke hit .355 with a .938 OPS, 17 doubles, two home runs, 26 RBIs and seven stolen bases.
Though his stock fell from his early days as a prospect, Yorke has revitalized himself and was rewarded with his first-time promotion to the big leagues.
6. LHP Anthony Solometo: Stock Down
It was a disastrous season for Solometo, who spent most of the season with Altoona, where he went 1-7 with a 5.98 ERA across 20 appearances/17 starts.
Solometo’s season included time on the development list in search of better results but to no avail. The once-promising left-handed pitching prospect will need to show more encouraging signs in 2025 if he wants to reclaim a spot near the top of the Pirates’ prospects list.
7. LHP Hunter Barco: Stock Up
While one left-handed pitcher struggled in Solometo, another shined in Barco. The left-hander began the year in Greensboro, where he went 4-1 with a 3.34 ERA in what’s considered a hitter’s heaven. He made two starts with Altoona before landing on the injured list.
While injuries are always concerning, Barco’s is to his leg, not his pitching arm. The Pirates gave an encouraging update on the injury and said it’s almost healed.
8. INF Mitch Jebb: Stock Down
Jebb does some things really well. His speed and baserunning prowess were both on displaying during his season in Greensboro with seven triples and 43 steals. After a very sluggish start to the season, he performed much better in the second half.
But the overall numbers in a hitter-friendly league were well-below par. With a lack of power, Jebb’s upside is limited.
*NOTE: 2024 draft picks excluded from the list.
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