Five Pirates Prospects With Promising Starts in 2025
One player to watch at each level of the Pittsburgh Pirates' system
The minor league season is still less than a month old, which means we are heavily in small sample size territory.
Despite the potential for volatility with these sample sizes, there are performances across the minors to get excited about.
Today, I’m going to be highlighting one player at each level who has stood out to me early in the season, along with realistic expectations for their future development.
Major League Depth: Matt Gorski
In his very first at-bat during his Major League debut, Matt Gorski crushed a home run. The last Pirates prospect to make such a debut was Starling Marte.
Gorski is not Marte. In fact, it’s impossible to say what Gorski is or can be at this point.
Over the last three seasons, Gorski has accumulated 517 at-bats at the Triple-A level. That included a .257/.319/.522 line with 23 homers in 389 at-bats last season. This year, he began the season with a .300/.325/.529 line and three homers, before getting the call to join the Pirates.
Gorski is 27-years-old, so he’s in his theoretical prime. His approach at the plate is confident, often waiting later than most players to lock into a set position. The timing leg kick he follows with has been in place for a few years, and can generate some power. Combined with his shorter set time, Gorski is heavily dependent on timing to maximize a powerful swing against quicker reaction times. This has led to some swing-and-miss issues in the minors.
He might be a three-outcomes hitter, providing power off the MLB bench. How much power he hits for will determine whether Gorski can move into a more regular role. With the ability to play defense at all three outfield positions, along with an ability to play first base, Gorski provides flexible value off the bench.
The Pirates have shown that they are trusting of small sample sizes when it comes to fringe-MLB players they’ve added from the outside. Alexander Canario, for example, had 42 at-bats in the Majors across two seasons with the Cubs, producing promising enough results for the Pirates to take a shot on his 24-year-old potential.
Gorski doesn’t have the younger age to dream that he could develop into more as he gets older. He is what he is, right now. We don’t know what that really is until he gets the same opportunity with the Pirates that a player like Canario received with the Cubs.
I’m not forming any opinions on Gorski after four MLB at-bats. I do like that the Pirates are turning to some of their own internal options for depth. My hope is that Gorski gets an opportunity to show what he can do in the Majors.
The Next Big Prospect: Bubba Chandler
Down in Triple-A, Bubba Chandler is knocking on the door.
After five starts with the Indianapolis Indians, Chandler has a 1.33 ERA and a 27:6 K/BB in 20.1 innings. His velocity has been hitting triple-digits, throwing five 100+ MPH pitches in his most recent start.
That last start saw him throw five shutout innings, allowing one hit and striking out four. It was the first time this season Chandler has gone five complete innings, and the second time he’s pitched into the fifth inning. The minor league season starts later than the MLB season, and Chandler is just now getting fully stretched out.
Aside from the velocity from a fastball with plenty of movement, Chandler has also developed quality secondary stuff, led by a plus slider. He’s also developed a curveball and changeup which could both be above-average pitches.
The eventual adjustment to the Majors might not be as seamless as what the Pirates saw last year with Paul Skenes, but Chandler is a quick learner. He’s the top prospect arrival to watch for in Pittsburgh this year. By the end of the season, he will be a big factor in the Pirates having the most exciting young rotation in the game.
Sleeper in Altoona: Hunter Barco
I had the honor of talking with Hunter Barco last season for a feature in Baseball America. During that conversation, I knew that Barco was going to be a future Major Leaguer.
What I look for when making that projection is a certain balance of confidence. In the case of Barco, he didn’t have to rely on parroting the advice others had given him. He had full awareness of his own game, his strengths, his weaknesses, and a plan in place to counter the latter with new pitches. When he spoke, it was from his original thoughts about his abilities and chosen development plans. That combination of confidence in original expression, along with intention to improve, is the foundation of a Major League player.
The 2022 second rounder is now in Altoona, and he’s looking like the best pitching prospect in this system not named Bubba Chandler.
Barco has made four starts, and he’s showing what his mind can do against upper-level hitters when combined with his arsenal. He’s yet to allow a run in 17.2 innings, while striking out 22 and only walking four. Barco was recovering from Tommy John surgery at the start of his pro career, and only reached a career-high of 66 innings in a single-season last year. This year will likely be more about getting him stretched out across a full season, with his 6’ 4”, 235 pound frame capable of handling the starting routine.
As a left-hander myself, I’m partial to the genii from fellow lefties. Having said that, Barco has objectively shown enough in his limited innings, including the four starts in Altoona, that he’s become one of the top prospects to follow in this system.
His fifth start of the year took place today, in which he struck out eight across three scoreless frames, allowing just one hit.
Power in Greensboro: Javier Rivas
I’m going to avoid the plague of past prospect prognostication by ignoring that Javier Rivas is a six-foot-six shortstop who hits for power.
There has been a dream in baseball development over the last decade, and I’ve fallen trap to this dream, where any talented, athletic, large framed individual with power gets met with one possibility: What if he could be a power hitting shortstop in the Majors?
Rivas is a power hitter, with 12 homers last season in A-ball. Those home runs came with an extremely high strikeout rate, and a low average and on-base percentage. This year, Rivas has six home runs already, which are evenly split between the power-friendly home park in Greensboro and his time on the road.
What’s encouraging to me in his small sample of 76 plate appearances is that Rivas has cut his strikeout rate down to 22.4%, which is the first time he’s been in this range since rookie ball. His previous time in A-ball mixed the raw power from his big frame with a strikeout rate over 30%.
Rivas has spent most of his time at shortstop this season, with third base as his secondary position. His offensive start this season might spark dreams of a future left-side MLB infielder with power. For now, I’m only focusing on the offense from the 22-year-old from Venezuela.
If Rivas can maintain his offensive improvements this year, and learn to consistently tap into his large frame for power without the excess swing-and-miss, then he’ll have a chance to play anywhere on the field in the future, even if shortstop is too tall of an order. The offensive development is the only thing which matters at this stage. His defensive position can be solidified in the upper levels.
First Rounder Heating Up: Konnor Griffin
Konnor Griffin has homered two games in a row heading into Sunday, and four times since April 11th. Last year’s ninth overall pick, Griffin has a ton of tools to work with, showing power, speed, and the ability to play two premium positions.
Aside from the four homers in 70 at-bats, Griffin has shown his speed on the bases, stealing 11 bags this year. This comes after he stole 87 bases during his senior year of high school. He’s got the potential to play up the middle, with 11 games at shortstop and three games in center field.
Just like with Rivas above, I think the offense is all that matters at this point. There were some scouting concerns related to Griffin’s contact abilities, and he’s shown some issues early with strikeouts and a lower average/on-base. He’s also dealing with the same small sample as everyone else, and has shown some early micro improvements.
As an example of those improvements, Griffin’s first six games in Bradenton saw a 43% strikeout rate and a .191 average. Since that April 11th game, he’s lowered the strikeout rate to 22%, while raising the average to .265 and getting his on-base above .300. Griffin also has four multi-hit games during this 11-game stretch, and only three games without a hit.
Griffin isn’t going to arrive in the Majors for a few years. The speed of his arrival will depend on how quickly he can adjust to pro ball. These micro-adjustments are encouraging if they persist over the long-haul, possibly allowing a quicker path to the big leagues.
It’s good to see Griffin showing off some of the tools that got him drafted so high, while also showing quick adjustments in small samples. If you’re a long-term prospect follower, he’s one of the best in the system to watch this year.
Until the next time I go live…
-Tim Williams