Potanko: For Pirates Prospects, Winning Matters

“Man, what a feeling; I was so pumped. We worked so hard all year, and to have it pay off like this is unreal. This championship means so much because it was the biggest goal of the year and for it to come to fruition is awesome. There’s nothing better than winning.”

That is what Pirate prospect and current Bradenton Marauder Jase Bowen had to say on winning the Low-A Southeast Championship on Friday night. Bowen, along with the rest of the Marauders team, secured a sweep against the Yankees Low-A farm club in an 11-3 victory.

You often hear the question on winning cultures in the minors and if said culture can translate when they make it to the Major Leagues. Honestly, there will never be a definitive answer, but there is something to be said about team building and the bonding experience these young men encounter in the process.

Of course, winning involves several factors, but the one factor not talked about enough is the camaraderie and, if anything, the young men in Bradenton and all the other levels seem to have found an unmatched brotherhood. With several locker room videos of the guys dancing in Greensboro and Bradenton with their goofy antics, the lost art of brotherhood in the minors is slowly coming back.

The camaraderie in the Pirates minor league locker rooms is unmatched lol. (Video from Adrian Florencio’s IG) pic.twitter.com/6pXD1qpxwO

— Pirates Unrestricted (Rodolfo Stan) (@P_Unrestricted) September 25, 2021

The pressures of trying to make it to the majors is one thing, but pile on trying to feed your family, live in better conditions, or for some prospects, bring their family to the United States for a better life. All of those factors mentioned could generate a lot of selfish attitudes and a need to forget about the guy playing next to you, but from all accounts, the boys in the minors are all for one and one for all.