Pirates Top 30 Prospects No. 11: Levi Sterling Gets First Taste of Pro Ball
This is one in a series of stories breaking down PBN’s Top 30 Pittsburgh Pirates prospects.
Levi Sterling was one of the more interesting prospects available in the 2024 draft after a career at Notre Dame High School in California that consisted of time on the pitcher’s mound and at shortstop.
While he performed well at shortstop and at the plate as a prep player, teams were more intrigued by what he did on the mound, and it’s why the Pirates selected him as a pitcher with the 37th pick and signed him for a healthy bonus of just over $2.5 million.
Sterling’s solid four-pitch mix is headlined by a plus-curveball. He also has above-average offerings in a fastball and slider and a changeup he has some feel for.
Though Sterling’s pitch mix is appealing, his stuff didn’t translate to results during his first professional season this year.
The 19-year-old made 11 appearances/nine starts in the Florida Complex League and went 3-2 with a 6.54 ERA. He totaled 31.2 innings, allowed 35 hits, walked 21 and struck out 30.
In early September, the Pirates promoted the 6-foot-5 right-hander to Low-A Bradenton, where he made one appearance before he was placed on the Development List through the end of the season. In his lone outing with the Marauders, Sterling tossed 2.1-scoreless innings, yielded two hits, walked two and punched out four.
As is the case for many young pitchers just starting their professional careers, the 2025 season was a rocky one for Sterling. But given his strong mix of pitches, athleticism and youth, Sterling still has plenty of upside.
The Pirates, as an organization, have had success developing young pitchers, which bodes well for Sterling. He’ll look for better results in year two — which will likely starts with the Marauders.
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