Perrotto: Three Pirates Prospects to Watch in Spring Breakout

The Pittsburgh Pirates’ effort in last year’s inaugural Spring Breakout was memorable.

Paul Skenes was the star of the show when a group of Pirates’ prospects defeated a Baltimore Orioles’ team of prospects at LECOM Park in Bradenton, Fla. Skenes’ first three pitches reached at least 101 mph, a foreshadowing of him going on to win the National League Rookie of the Year award.

Skenes has graduated from prospect to major-leaguer, so he won’t play in this year’s Spring Breakout when Pirates’ minor-leaguers face a group of Philadelphia Phillies prospects on Friday at BayCare Ballpark in Clearwater, Fla.

The Pirates don’t have an obvious generational talent in their farm system. However, they have some interesting prospects, including three that I want to see in the Spring Breakout:

Konnor Griffin

I haven’t had the chance to watch the Pirates’ first-round pick from last year’s amateur draft play in person yet.

However, I did see him take batting practice while I was at the Pirates’ spring training camp in Bradenton last month. It was quite a show as Griffin showed easy power to all fields.

Granted, batting practice isn’t the same as playing in a game. And the 18-year-old shortstop/center fielder has yet to make his professional debut.

Griffin certainly looks like a top prospect, though. He is 6-foot-4 and weighs 225 pounds. In the brief time I talked with him, Griffin came across as very smart and mature.

A veteran scout who watched Griffin play in Grapefruit League games before being reassigned to minor-league camp told me this: “He’s going to end up being the best player chosen in last year’s draft when all is said and done. The kid is really talented. He has pop and he can fly. He’s a dynamic player.”

Bubba Chandler

Chandler was so good in his seven-start stint with Triple-A Indianapolis to finish last season that he established himself among the upper echelon of prospects. Baseball America ranks him No. 7 and that seems warranted.

Chandler’s ceiling has risen since giving up on being a two-way player and concentrating on pitching and the 22-year-old will almost certainly make his major-league debut this year. It won’t be as big of a deal as Skenes’ debut, but it will be a significant moment for the Pirates.

Chandler went 4-0 with a 2.29 ERA at Indianapolis. It’s a small sample size but his ability, confidence and charisma give off the aura of a future All-Star.

Jhonny Severino

The Pirates acquired the third baseman/shortstop from the Milwaukee Brewers in 2023 in a deadline trade for Carlos Santana. Severino is proving to be quite the pickup as he has shown impressive power, something the Pirates lack in their farm system.

Severino hit 16 home runs in just 84 games between the rookie-level Florida Complex League and Low-A Bradenton last season. He also drove in 58 runs and slashed .271/.341/.528 while showing no ill effects from the hand injury in 2023 that required surgery.

Power hitters always excite me. Severino is someone to get excited about.