Pirates Top 30 Prospects No. 15: Zander Mueth Set Back By Injuries
This is one in a series of stories breaking down PBN’s Top 30 Pittsburgh Pirates prospects.
It took the Pirates nearly $1.8 million to pry Zander Mueth away from his college commitment to the University of Mississippi after making him the 67th pick in the 2023 draft.
The big right-handed pitcher who is listed at 6-foot-6 and 205 pounds was selected in the compensation B round, the third pick for the Pirates that year following Paul Skenes and Mitch Jebb.
The Pirates didn’t use Mueth in minor-league games until the 2024 season, starting in the Florida Complex League. He found immediate success in his first taste of professional games. In 13 appearances/12 starts in the FCL, Mueth went 6-1 with a sparkling 1.58 ERA and struck out 56 batters in 51.1 innings.
Mueth was promoted to the Low-A Bradenton Marauders later that season and owned a 3.97 ERA in seven starts. Though he had struggles with control — 24 walks in 22.2 innings — Mueth only allowed eight hits and struck out 24.
Mueth began the ’25 campaign back with the Marauders and and made two appearances before he was sidelined for two months with an injury.
The Pirates eased him back in the FCL before activating him back with Bradenton, but Mueth landed bac on the injured list in the middle of August and missed the remainder of the season.
In essence, it was a lost season for the 20-year-old, who went 0-4 with a 6.58 ERA in 12 combined starts between Bradenton and a couple rehab outings in the FCL.
But Mueth will try and bounce back in what will hopefully be an injury-free 2026 season. He’ll do so with a compelling pitch mix that includes two above-average offerings in a fastball and slider as well as a developing changeup. Mueth also operates out of an unorthodox arm slot, creating deception to make hitters uncomfortable.
But in addition to health, strike throwing will be the biggest key for Mueth if he wants to take the next step as a prospect. In 26 innings on the season, Mueth walked 29 batters, and he’s walked a whopping 79 in 100 career innings.
That simply will not do, and if he can’t find the zone, the Pirates might have no choice but to convert him to a full-time reliever.
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