Journey to the 412 - Blog

Five Best Pirates Prospect Performers for April

Fri, 01 May 2026 04:02:00 +0000

Jason Shetler

As the calendar turns to May, here are the five best Pittsburgh Pirates prospect performers for the month of April.

Axiel Plaz: A year ago at this time, Axiel Plaz was a sleeper prospect in the Pirates’ system.

Signed by the organization in 2022, Plaz is beginning to emerge as a top-tier catching prospect. In 84 plate appearances with High A Greensboro, he’s hitting .360, third highest average in the South Atlantic League, while putting up an OPS of .971.

Lonnie White Jr: Drafted as a competitive balance pick in 2021, Lonnie White Jr. chose to sign with the Pirates rather than accept a scholarship to play football at Penn State.

White is off to a scorching start to the season, as he hit .298 and posted the sixth best OPS at 1.008 in the SAL with Greensboro. On Thursday, it was reported that White received a promotion to AA Altoona.

Murf Gray: Although Seth Hernandez got all the praise from the 2025 Pirates draft, and deservedly so, Pittsburgh made an intriguing selection with Murf Gray - a competitive balance pick out of Fresno State.

Gray was assigned to Low A Bradenton to begin his pro career. The Pirates 18th ranked prospect, according to MLB Pipeline, has hit the ground running, as a member of the Marauders. Gray’s .353 average is tied atop the Florida State League, while his .987 OPS is currently third highest.

Seth Hernandez: The Pirates garnered a plethora of rave reviews, when they selected Seth Hernandez, with the sixth overall pick in last year’s draft.

Hernandez, who is now the top pitching arm in the Pirates’ organization, absolutely shoved in four April starts for the Bradenton Marauders, as he posted a dazzling, 0.53 ERA, along with a league leading 0.53 WHIP, and 32 strikeouts, which are tied for most.

FSL batters have had no answer for Hernandez’s arsenal that includes an upper-90’s fastball and sinker, an outstanding curveball, a good slider, and his best secondary offering - a plus changeup.

Wyatt Sanford: In the 2024 draft, the Pirates took Wyatt Sanford as a second round choice out of Independence High School, located in Frisco, Texas.

Sanford entered professional ball with a baseball pedigree, as his father, Chance Sanford, played briefly with the Pirates as a rookie in 1998.

The 20-year-old middle infielder is enjoying a terrific start to his 2026 season, with a slash line of .277/.400/.518 in 100 plate appearances for Greensboro. Sanford is beginning to tap into some more power, as he hit five home runs in April. The plus speed has also been on display; stealing nine bases in ten attempts.

Honorable mentions

Esmerlyn Valdez (Indianapolis): .255/.403/.439, 4 HR, 14 RBI

Easton Carmichael (Greensboro): .313/.368/.475, 3 HR, 14 RBI

Mitch Jebb Promoted to Indianapolis

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 19:14:00 +0000

Jason Shetler

Utility man Mitch Jebb is being promoted from the Altoona Curve to the Indianapolis Indians, this according to Jim Rosati of North Shore Nine.

The Pittsburgh Pirates selected Jebb as a second round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft out of Michigan State.

Since joining the Pirates’ organization, Jebb is one of the fastest prospects in the system, with 70 grade speed.

Over the last two seasons, the speed has been on full display for Jebb. He’s stolen 76 bases in 89 tries, for a solid, 85.4% success rate.

Jebb has played in 14 games with Altoona to begin this season, posting a .339 OBP, while stealing four bases in five attempts.

The promotion of Jebb will try to help spark an Indianapolis Indians lineup that has really struggled offensively in April.

Pirates Call Up Wilber Dotel

Sun, 19 Apr 2026 16:41:00 +0000

Jason Shetler

p/c: Matt Freed - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The Pittsburgh Pirates are calling up one of their top-tier pitching prospects, as Wilber Dotel is joining the big club. Right-hander Cam Sanders has been optioned back to AAA Indianapolis.

Dotel was signed by the Pirates in 2020 out of Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic.

Pitching for AA Altoona last season, Dotel posted a 4.15 ERA, while striking out 131 batters in 125.2 innings.

This past offseason, the Pirates added Dotel to the 40-man roster.

Currently the 12th ranked Pirates prospect, according to MLB Pipeline, Dotel began the season with Indianapolis, where he had a 6.28 ERA in three starts.

The Pirates desperately need help in the bullpen, in regards to multiple inning arms. Perhaps Dotel can give them a boost.

Seth Hernandez Shines In Pro Debut for Bradenton

Fri, 03 Apr 2026 23:38:00 +0000

Jason Shetler

With a rain out on Thursday night, Seth Hernandez’s professional debut had to wait until Friday, but was certainly worth it.

The Pittsburgh Pirates’ sixth overall selection in the 2025 MLB Draft debuted for the Bradenton Marauders against the Dunedin Blue Jays - Toronto’s Low A ball affiliate.

After giving up a leadoff triple, on the very first professional pitch he threw in the bottom of the first, Hernandez allowed the run, but struck out three batters.

The final line for Hernandez was three innings of work, one earned run, no walks, and eight strikeouts.

Hernandez’s dominant stuff was on full display Friday evening, with a sinker at 97-99 mph, a four-seam fastball at 94-97, an 89-91 cutter, in which he got four of his eight Ks with, a plus curveball at 79-81, and a changeup at 84-86 mph. 30 of Hernandez’s 39 pitches were for strikes, including 18 swings and misses, for an excellent, whiff rate of 46.2%.

With the graduation of Bubba Chandler, Hernandez now finds himself as the top pitching arm in the Pirates’ organization.

Wilber Dotel to Start Grapefruit League Opener for Pirates

Fri, 20 Feb 2026 02:32:00 +0000

By Jason Shetler

The Pittsburgh Pirates open up the Grapefruit League schedule on Saturday against the Baltimore Orioles in Sarasota, Florida. Wilber Dotel will get the opportunity to start, and will likely pitch the first two innings.

Since signing with the Pirates in 2020, Dotel has seen a significant increase with his fastball velocity; going from low-90’s to upper-90’s. The slider is a plus offering, while he also incorporated a new splitter into his repertoire last year.

Dotel spent the 2025 season pitching for the Altoona Curve, where he posted a 4.15 ERA, along with a 3.89 FIP, and a 3.63 xFIP. In 125.2 innings, he fanned 131 batters, for a 9.4 K/9.

This offseason, the Pirates protected Dotel from the Rule 5 Draft by adding him to the 40-man roster.

Entering 2026, Dotel is ranked the ninth best Pirates prospect, according to Baseball America. There’s a good chance the 23-year-old righty begins the season at AAA Indianapolis.

Jhostynxon Garcia Looks to Provide Quality Bat to Pirates Outfield Depth

Tue, 17 Feb 2026 02:45:00 +0000

By Jason Shetler

p/c: Christopher Horner

With his job on the line, Pittsburgh Pirates general manager Ben Cherington knew he had to substantially improve an offense that was arguably MLB’s worst in 2025.

The first significant move came on December 4th, when the Pirates traded right-hander Johan Oviedo to the Boston Red Sox, as part of a five-player deal that was headlined by outfielder Jhostynxon Garcia.

The trade was simply a case of dealing from surplus, with the Red Sox having a loaded outfield, and the Pirates’ plethora of starting pitching.

At the time of the trade, Garcia was MLB Pipeline’s 85th ranked prospect, and the sixth best prospect in the Red Sox organization.

Nicknamed “The Password”, due to the difficulty spelling of his first name, Garcia combined to slash .267/.340/.470, while hitting 21 home runs between AA Portland and AAA Worcester last season. He represented Boston in the MLB Futures Game, and received a cup of coffee with the Red Sox; appearing in five games.

Garcia possess raw power at the plate, along with impressive, exit velocity numbers. Because of his aggressive approach, the strikeout figure increased for Garcia; going from 21.0% in Portland up to 29.1% in Worcester.

Defensively, Garcia has played mostly center field, where his range is considered average. He does have a plus arm, however, which could make him a right fielder long-term.

Since trading for Garcia, the Pirates have a more crowded outfield. They acquired switch-hitter Jake Mangum from the Tampa Bay Rays in the Brandon Lowe deal. Ryan O’Hearn, who was projected to be the team’s primary designated hitter, will see time in a corner outfield - now with the addition of Marcell Ozuna.

Barring injury, Garcia should begin the year with the Indianapolis Indians. It’s a good problem to have, as Garcia is only going to be 23 for all of 2026. This will allow the Pirates to be patient with Garcia, to where he can continue to develop with the bat, and more importantly, cut down on the strikeouts, before he’s ultimately ready to contribute at the big league level.

Pirates Sign Wilton Guerrero Jr. to IFA Deal

Thu, 15 Jan 2026 16:29:00 +0000

By Jason Shetler

MLB’s international free agency period began on Thursday. The Pittsburgh Pirates made a splash by signing shortstop Wilton Guerrero Jr. to a reported bonus of $1.95 million.

Guerrero Jr. obviously has strong, baseball bloodlines, as he’s the son of former big leaguer Wilton Guerrero Sr, the nephew of Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero Sr, and the cousin of Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

MLB Pipeline had Guerrero ranked as the 17th best international free agent prospect for 2026.

Guerrero is considered one of the fastest players in the ‘26 IFA class with Grade 70 speed. He also makes solid contract at the plate with good bat speed, and most scouts believe that he should increase his power once he starts to fill out his body. On the defensive side, Guerrero displays steady range at shortstop, along with soft hands. The one knock is Guerrero’s arm strength, which is considered average.

The Pirates will most likely assign Guerrero to the Dominican Summer League this year.

2026 Pirates Breakout Watch Prospect: Tony Blanco Jr.

Thu, 08 Jan 2026 20:40:00 +0000

By Jason Shetler

In 2024, I chose Bubba Chandler as my Pittsburgh Pirates breakout prospect, and he has now emerged as the top pitching prospect in the system. Last year, my pick was Khristian Curtis, who struggled in the first half, but finished the season on a high note, with a strong final three months. Heading into this year, I’ve decided to go the position player route, on a player who received some buzz towards the end of 2025, and that’s Tony Blanco Jr.

During the 2022 international free agency period, the Pirates signed Blanco to a signing bonus of $900,000.

Blanco is the son of Tony Blanco Sr - a former top prospect in the early-2000’s that played for the Washington Nationals expansion team in 2005, and had success playing over in Japan.

After spending his first two seasons in the Dominican Summer League, Blanco had a productive rookie ball stint stateside in the Florida Complex in 2024; slashing .305/.385/.505 in 109 plate appearances.

The beginning of 2025 was rough for Blanco, as he not only started the season on the 60-day injured list, because of a hamstring issue, but also with the sudden passing of his father, who lost his life during a roof collapse accident in the Dominican Republic, which involved long time MLB reliever Octavio Dotel, as well as Nelsy Cruz - the sister of former big leaguer Nelson Cruz.

Blanco was activated off the IL in mid-July and assigned to the Bradenton Marauders.

In 28 games with Bradenton, the 20-year-old Blanco put up a slash of .264/.368/.491, along with seven home runs.

To make up for lost playing time, the Pirates sent Blanco to the Arizona Fall League as a member of the Salt River Rafters. He held his own in 13 games; posting an .809 OPS. Blanco participated in the AFL Home Run Derby and came out victorious.

At 6’7, 243 pounds, Blanco has prodigious raw power and displays excellent exit velocity figures. If he can manage the strikeouts to a respectable level in the future, and can tap into his full power potential, it’s the profile of 30-35 homers that can possibly flirt with 40. Defensively, he can play both a corner outfield and first base, with the latter being his most likely position long-term.

Blanco has showed off his impressive power in spurts, but will need to do it over the course of a full minor league season; similar to what Esmerlyn Valdez did last year.

Esmerlyn Valdez Selected to Fall Stars Game

Thu, 06 Nov 2025 15:31:00 +0000

By Jason Shetler

Pittsburgh Pirates prospect Esmerlyn Valdez has been named to the National League roster for the 2025 Fall Stars Game in the Arizona Fall League.

It’s been a whirlwind year for Valdez, who had a breakout season in the minors; slashing .286/.376/.520, along with 26 home runs for High A Greensboro and AA Altoona.

Since playing in the AFL, Valdez is putting up incredible numbers offensively, and has arguably been the best player in the league. In 17 games, he’s hitting .392, which is fifth highest, while leading the league in homers (8), RBI (26), slugging (.922), and total bases (47).

Valdez represented the Pirates in this year’s MLB Futures Game during All-Star Weekend, so this will be his second minor league All-Star nod.

The Fall Stars Game is this Sunday at 8:00 ET on MLB Network.

Konnor Griffin Named Gold Glove Winner for Minor League Shortstops

Mon, 03 Nov 2025 02:43:00 +0000

By Jason Shetler

p/c: Jamie Squire

While Tommy Pham and Jared Triolo lost out on Gold Glove awards Sunday night, there was someone in the Pittsburgh Pirates’ organization who did, and it’s top prospect Konnor Griffin, who won the award among minor league shortstops.

Griffin played his first season of professional ball in 2025, and it was one of the most impressive seasons by a Pirates minor leaguer in recent memory.

Playing across three levels this year, Griffin became the #1 prospect in all of MiLB by Baseball America and MLB Pipeline.

He committed only seven errors in 352 chances at shortstop combined with the Bradenton Marauders, Greensboro Grasshoppers, and Altoona Curve, while posting an excellent, .980 fielding percentage.

Griffin becomes the first Pirates minor league player to capture a Gold Glove since Jared Triolo in 2021.