Pirates Prospect Watch: Prospects Participating In Arizona Fall League

Minor league baseball is now over for 2022, but that doesn’t mean a handful of Pittsburgh Pirates’ prospects are done playing.

The Arizona Fall League is set to begin on Oct. 3. The Pirates’ farmhands will be on the Surprise Saguaros’ roster, one of six teams composing the AFL.

Three off the Pirates’ prospects included in MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 are included on the roster — catcher Henry Davis, right-hander Quinn Priester and infielder Nick Gonzales.

Here are the nine Bucs participating in the AFL this season.

LHP Omar Cruz (Double-A Altoona)

• 2022 stats: 3-3, 5.03 ERA, 62.2 innings, 61 hits, 28 walks, 69 strikeouts, 23 games/five starts

Cruz, 23, was acquired from the San Diego Padres in the Joe Musgrove trade. The left-hander had a down year in 2022 but did produce solid strikeout totals.

C Henry Davis (Double-A Altoona)

• 2022 stats: .264/.380/.472, 12 doubles, one triple, 10 home runs, 42 RBIs, nine steals, 59 games

Davis battled a wrist injury but put together a solid showing overall when healthy. Now fully healed, the 2021 first overall pick will take his talents to the AFL.

INF Jacob Gonzalez (High-A Greensboro)

• 2022 stats: .305/.377/.459, 24 doubles, one triple, 13 home runs, 61 RBIs, 112 games

Gonzalez was selected by the Pirates from the Giants in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 draft this past offseason. He had a pretty decent showing in his first year in the organization.

INF Nick Gonzales (Double-A Altoona)

• 2022 stats: .264/.382/.435, 21 doubles, two triples, seven home runs, 37 RBIs, six steals, 74 games

Plantar fasciitis sidelined Gonzales for a while in the middle of the season, but like Davis, the former first-rounder was productive at the plate when healthy.

OF Matt Gorski (Triple-A Indianapolis)

• 2022 stats: .280/.358/.598, 11 doubles, four triples, 24 home runs, 66 RBIs, 21 steals, 81 games

Gorski has some of the best raw power of anyone in the Pirates’ system, as evident by his .598 slugging percentage. The 24-year-old earned a late-season promotion to Triple-A.

RHP Quinn Priester (Triple-A Indianapolis)

• 2022 stats: 5-5, 3.29 ERA, 90.1 innings, 79 hits, 30 walks, 89 strikeouts, 19 games/19 starts

The Bucs’ top pitching prospect had a nice season on the mound. Like a handful of other prospects, he ended the season with Indianapolis in Triple-A.

C/OF Blake Sabol (Triple-A Indianapolis)

• 2022 stats: .284/.363/.479, 26 doubles, six triples, 19 home runs, 75 RBIs, 10 steals, 123 games

The 24-year-old Sabol split time between Double-A and Triple-A this year. He had a really solid showing at the plate at each level.

RHP Colin Selby (Triple-A Indianapolis)

• 2022 stats: 2-3, 2.27 ERA, 35.2 innings, 29 hits, 14 walks, 43 strikeouts, 29 games/one start

Selby spent the bulk of the season with Double-A Altoona and was an effective pitcher out of the bullpen.

RHP Tahnaj Thomas (Double-A Altoona)

• 2022 stats: 5-4, 3.02 ERA, 50.2 innings, 44 hits, 20 walks, 52 strikeouts, 37 games/one start

The transition to the bullpen for the first time was a successful one for the 23-year-old Thomas. His power-fastball played well as a reliver.