10 Pirates Prospects Who Raised Their Stock In the First Half
Entering 2024, there were several Pirates prospects looking to improve upon their numbers from the season prior. Here are 10 who performed really up their stock during the first half of the year.
Braxton Ashcraft: Last season, Braxton Ashcraft pitched well; albeit having his innings limited, as he was returning from Tommy John surgery.
Ashcraft started out this season at AA Altoona, where he put up a 3.69 ERA, along with a 1.10 WHIP, in 53.2 innings.
On June 11th, Ashcraft would be promoted to AAA Indianapolis. In 18.1 innings of work with the Indians, he’s registered an ERA of 0.49.
Combined with both teams, the 24-year-old righty has 76 strikeouts in 72 innings (9.5 K/9).
Carlson Reed: The Pirates made Carlson Reed a fourth round selection in the 2023 draft out of West Virginia.
Reed debuted professionally in the Florida Complex League, shortly after being drafted. He had a 2.57 ERA in only 7.0 innings.
Low A Bradenton is where Reed is currently at. He’s made 15 starts for the Marauders, posting a 2.75 ERA, which is fourth lowest in the Florida State League. His K/9 is a very impressive 10.9, and he’s held opposing batters to a .208 batting average against.
Charles McAdoo: Not taken until the 13th round of last year’s draft, Charles McAdoo has emerged as a real diamond in the rough in the Pirates’ system.
After slashing .302/.412/.510 with Bradenton in ‘23, McAdoo has picked up where he left off. He began this year at High A Greensboro, before getting promoted to Altoona on June 21st. At the time of his promotion, McAdoo had led the South Atlantic League in hitting (.336) and OPS (.975).
In 18 games with the Curve, McAdoo has a slash line of .279/.380/.544.
Esmerlyn Valdez: The Pirates signed Esmerlyn Valdez in 2021 out of the Dominican Republic.
Valdez played for both the FCL Pirates and Bradenton last season. He combined to slash .304/.374/.503.
This year, Valdez returned to Bradenton. He’s been productive again with the Marauders, putting up an OPS of .825; good for fourth best in the FSL. In addition, Valdez is tied for third in home runs with 12.
Hunter Barco: Despite being out with Tommy John surgery, the Pirates still thought highly enough of Hunter Barco, for them to take him 44th overall, in the 2022 draft.
Much like Braxton Ashcraft, Barco had his innings monitored last year. He posted a 3.44 ERA in 18.1 innings combined with the FCL Pirates and Bradenton.
Barco began ‘24 with the Greensboro Grasshoppers. Even with pitching his home games at a very hitter-friendly ballpark, Barco really held his own in the SAL, recording the fifth lowest ERA at 3.34. The 23-year-old southpaw made it tough on hitters, with his deceptive, delivery, as he fanned 77 batters in 62 innings (11.2 K/9).
It was reported over the weekend that Barco had earned a promotion to Altoona.
Jhonny Severino: Jhonny Severino headlined the Milwaukee Brewers’ 2022 international signing class by agreeing to a bonus of $1.23 million.
The native of Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic was traded from the Brewers to the Pirates last year, in a straight up swap for Carlos Santana.
Severino has been outstanding this season playing in the Complex. His .558 slugging percentage is tops in the league, while his .923 OPS is seventh highest. Severino currently has 10 homers and is 11-for-13 in stolen bases.
Omar Alfonzo: Signed by the Pirates in 2019 for $150,000, Omar Alfonzo is one of the more interesting catching prospects in the system,
Since arriving to the organization, Alfonzo has shown a knack for getting on base and working free passes.
That’s been no different this season, with Alfonzo reaching base at a .372 mark, for the Bradenton Marauders, this despite being 20 at the Low A level. He’s been able to display some pop in his left-handed bat with seven long balls.
Defensively, Alfonzo has been solid behind the plate, as he’s thrown out 33% of baserunners, while his blocking skills have improved.
Patrick Reilly: In the ‘23 draft, the Pirates selected an intriguing arm in the fifth round with Patrick Reilly.
During the Spring Breakout Game, which consisted exclusively of Pirates prospects, Reilly flashed an mid-to-upper-90’s fastball, a sharp slider, and a good cutter.
The former Vandy product is pitching for Greensboro this season. He’s registered an ERA of 3.30 in 17 starts. Reilly has been even better as of late, with a 1.72 ERA over his last nine outings. In 79 innings overall, he’s struck out 97, for a stellar, 11.1 K/9.
Yordany De Los Santos: In 2022, the Pirates inked Yordany De Los Santos to a bonus of $1.2 million - making him the top signing during their 2021-22 international class.
Most consider De Los Santos as the Pirates’ best lower level shortstop right now. MLB Pipeline in particular as the 19-year-old ranked 15th in Pittsburgh’s system.
This year, De Los Santos has shown off his impressive skill set offensively, hitting for the second highest average in the Complex at .355, while posting the sixth best OPS at .956. He’s also displayed some good speed, with 19 steals and four triples.
Zander Mueth: The Pirates chose Zander Mueth as a competitive balance round pick (67th overall) a year ago. A signing bonus of $1.8 million was enough for Mueth to walk away from his commitment to Ole Miss and turn pro.
As a 6’6 right-hander that can throw from a three-quarter arm side, Mueth has drawn plenty of comparisons to Boston Red Sox pitcher Tanner Houck, in that regard.
For Mueth, he throws a sinker that consistently sits in the mid-90’s and can top out as high as 97. The slider is his best offering and has the potential of a plus offering, when he commands it well.
Mueth is making his pro debut this year pitching in the Complex, and has been nothing short of dominant. His 1.69 ERA is currently second best in the league. He has 46 strikeouts in 42.2 innings (9.7 K/9), while opponents are hitting just .205 off him.
As the 11th ranked Pirates prospect, per MLB Pipeline, Mueth is steadily, climbing up the ladder, in an organization already loaded with pitching talent.