Pirates Prospects Players of the Week 6/21
Reinold Navarro is looking like a potential top 100 prospect, while Eddie Rynders is starting to see things click in his young career.
This is the third week of tracking the Players of the Week in the Pittsburgh Pirates’ system. Every week, I end up making a change.
The first week included RE24 totals only. The second week started to incorporate aspects of Win Probability Added and bonuses for individual stats like strikeouts and home runs.
After adding WPA to the site’s database last week, I fully incorporated that into the Players of the Week.
As a result of these changes, the Players of the Week for previous weeks keep changing. However, I think I’ve got the scoring method to a statistical blend that doesn’t need many changes going forward.
I guess we’ll see next week whether it’s the same system, or whether I change my mind and make some adjustments.
For now, here are the players of the week for the week ending 6/21.
Players of the Week 6/21/26
The Bradenton Marauders swept last week’s Players of the Week. Eddie Rynders was the batter of the week, while Reinold Navarro was the pitcher of the week.
Rynders went 7-for-14 with two home runs and two stolen bases. After capping off last week with a home run on Sunday, Rynders added two more this week. He now has three homers in his last five games, doubling his season total.
The 2024 4th round pick has been off to a slow start this year, but the latest results might be a sign of him turning the corner. A quick glance at the Prospect Hotsheet shows that Rynders leads the minor league system in OPS over the last 7, 14, and 30 day periods. The last 30 has seen him batting .323 with a 1.079 OPS and five home runs in 76 PA. This isn’t just a one-week surge, but a continuation of a growing trend of standout production.
Navarro made two appearances last week. His first start was five shutout innings, with two walks and seven strikeouts. The second start was an abbreviated outing, where he added two more shutout innings, striking out four. In total, he threw seven shutout frames with 11 strikeouts.
Signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2024, Navarro has been impressive so far as a 19-year-old in Low-A. He has a 2.01 ERA in 40.1 IP. His strikeout rate is second in the system to top prospect Seth Hernandez. The one downside is a 22.7% walk rate. Last week was one of the best weeks of the season for Navarro in terms of limiting control issues. With an average fastball of 96.1 MPH from the left side, if Navarro reduces his control issues long-term, he easily becomes a top 100 pitching prospect candidate.
Individual Level Standouts
Here are the players of the week at each level throughout the Pirates’ minor league system.
Indianapolis Pitcher: Jaden Woods
Stats: 3.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, 0 HR
Woods made three appearances for Indianapolis this past week, combining to allow one earned run while striking out five. The 2023 seventh rounder was promoted to the level earlier this month, and this was easily his best week. The lefty has ten strikeouts in five innings so far, as a result of a slider that has generated a 41.2% whiff rate. Paired with a 95.2 MPH sinker, Woods is a prospect to watch as an emerging sleeper depth option for the MLB bullpen. He might not be ready this season, but he has the stuff to reach the Majors.
Indianapolis Batter: Dominic Fletcher
Stats: 8-for-23, 2 R, 2B, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 3 BB
Fletcher added two home runs this past week, while improving his season line to .292/.375/.513. The Pirates signed the 28-year-old outfielder to a minor league deal in December. He’s hit four of his six home runs this month, and has a hit in 13 of 16 games, while reaching base in 15 of those games. Fletcher could emerge as an outfield depth option if he keeps hitting like he has during the month of June.
Altoona Pitcher: Connor Wietgrefe
Stats: 7.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 8 K, 0 HR
Wietgrefe is on a run with Altoona. His last three starts have combined for 18 shutout innings, along with 22 strikeouts. He’s allowed just six hits and three walks during that time. The lefty started the month with one run in five innings, striking out seven. May was rough for the 2024 seventh rounder, but he’s arguably been the best pitcher in the system in June. He leads all qualified pitchers in strikeouts over the last 30 days. Wietgrefe could end up pitching for Indianapolis by the end of the season if he maintains this pace.
Altoona Batter: Omar Alfonzo
Stats: 6-for-18, 5 R, 3 HR, 6 RBI, 4 BB
No one in the system had a better two-day stretch than Alfonzo. He hit two home runs on Wednesday, then added one more on Thursday. The catcher now has eight on the season, and is starting to show that his lower level power can be carried over to the upper levels. Alfonzo has a .225/.330/.406 line this season, with a 29.7% strikeout rate. His defense behind the plate and power at the plate will give him plenty of development time in the upper levels.
Greensboro Pitcher: Seth Hernandez
Stats: 6.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 8 K, 0 HR
The top prospect in the system pitched a gem this week, throwing six shutout innings with eight strikeouts. This was the best start for Hernandez since moving up to Greensboro. He had a rough first six appearances at the level, mostly due to control issues. Aside from the strikeouts and the shutout frames, the most encouraging aspect this week was the one walk allowed.
Greensboro Batter: Easton Carmichael
Stats: 6-for-17, R, 3 2B, HR, 2 RBI, SB, BB
The 2025 third round pick added his 11th home run and 10th stolen base of the season this past week. Carmichael is batting .305/.353/.511 in Greensboro this season, while showing power and speed from the catching position. It’s easy to put up good offensive numbers playing in Greensboro, but what stands out about Carmichael is his plate patience, led by a 17.4% strikeout rate. His first real test will be Double-A, which could happen by the end of the season.
FCL Pirates Pitcher: Irwin Ramirez
Stats: 4.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 4 K, 0 HR
Ramirez returned to the FCL this season for the second year, and has shown improved results. His strikeout rate has gone from 15.3% to 20.5%. His walk rate is still high, at 18.8%, but his batting average against went from .254 to .157. This past week showed all of those trends, with four no-hit, shutout innings, four strikeouts, and three walks. Ramirez was the Pirates’ top pitching prospect during the 2024 international signing period.
FCL Pirates Batter: Francisco Loreto
Stats: 3-for-6, 2 R, 2B, HR, 3 RBI, SB, BB
The Pirates added Loreto last season in a trade for reliever Chase Shugart. Loreto returned to the FCL for a second season, and has shown an improved walk rate, spiking from 9.8% to 19.6%. He hit his first home run of the season this week, after hitting five last season with the FCL Phillies. Loreto also added his third stolen base, giving him 12 in three pro seasons.
DSL Pirates Pitcher: Hamlet Santos
Stats: 3.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, 0 HR
Santos was part of the 2025 international signing class, and is making his return to the DSL for a second season. He had a 10.13 ERA last year, with a 35.8% walk rate in 18.2 innings. This year has been better so far, with a 3.24 ERA and a walk rate cut to 14.3%. He’s also improved his strikeout rate from 11.3% to 21.4%.
DSL Pirates Batter: Oscar Borges
Stats: 5-for-12, 6 R, RBI, 6 BB
Borges was signed earlier this year. The 17-year-old catcher is off to a good start, batting .444/.592/.500 in his first 49 plate appearances. His walk rate is 24.5% while his strikeout rate is a low 8.2%. There hasn’t been a lot of power, but his plate patience seems more advanced than what you normally see at this age and level.
One More Report
Levi Sterling has been a standout in Bradenton for the last month.
After adding six shutout innings this past week, Sterling has a 1.93 ERA and 29 strikeouts in 28 innings over his last 30 days. That’s a massive improvement over the 5.55 ERA in his first five starts of the season.
Drafted out of high school with the 37th overall pick in 2024, Sterling is pitching his first full season of professional ball. He had a 6.54 ERA in 31.2 innings last year, with a 30:21 K/BB. The control has gotten better this year, and his overall results lately might be a sign that something is beginning to click.
Sterling throws a sinker at 92.6 MPH, along with a mid-80s slider that generates a 36% whiff rate. He also gets a 30% whiff rate on his 80.8 MPH curveball, and 40% on his 86.5 MPH cutter. Those pitches make up a six-pitch mix that also include a changeup and a four-seam fastball.
That’s a large pitch arsenal for a player who is still only 19 years old. Sterling is a pure development story at this point in his career, but he’s got a lot to work with. The improved control and the overall results over the last month are both encouraging trends.
Until the next time I go live…
-Tim Williams