Pirates Prospects Players of the Week 7/19
Sammy Stafura continued hitting home runs after the All-Star break, while Antwone Kelly had a strong return to Triple-A.
Last week was a short week across minor league baseball, with every level above rookie ball limited to weekend play after the All-Star break.
That was still enough time for Sammy Stafura to do some damage.
The Pirates Prospects Hitter of the Week launched three home runs over the weekend, continuing his recent power surge. Stafura now has 11 home runs in his last 13 games, with 15 on the season for Greensboro. All three of his shots this weekend went beyond 400 feet, including a 451 foot blast on Sunday.
Stafura is also hitting, going 6-for-14 on the weekend, and batting .366 over the last month. The Pirates added the 2023 second rounder from the Reds last year for Ke’Bryan Hayes. One year later, Stafura looks like he’s breaking out in a big way, with some serious power that is beginning to translate to games.
Antwone Kelly was the Pitcher of the Week. He pitched in relief for the Pirates last Sunday, then was sent down to Indianapolis after the break to remain as a depth option. Kelly threw four shutout innings on Sunday, striking out two batters.
The Pirates have called on Kelly twice since the start of June, both times for long-relief help. Between Kelly, Khristian Curtis (who threw five shutout innings in the Majors last week), and Wilber Dotel, the Pirates could have a rotation of long relief options out of Triple-A. Expect Kelly to get another look in the Majors if he keeps pitching like this.
Individual Level Standouts
Most of the levels only played three games this past week, which led to a few relief pitching standouts who rarely get featured in this article.
Indianapolis Batter: Enmanuel Valdez
Stats: 1-for-6, 2 R, HR, 4 RBI, 3 BB
Valdez had one hit over the weekend, but it was a big one. He blasted a grand slam to cap off a blowout victory for Indianapolis. It was the 13th homer of the year for the veteran minor leaguer, and his fifth in his last ten games.
Altoona Pitcher: Brandon Neeck
Stats: 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 K, 0 HR
Neeck threw 2.1 shutout innings on Sunday, striking out five batters. He’s been on a roll lately as a multi-inning reliever. His last ten games have produced a 2.08 ERA in 17.1 innings, with a 26:10 K/BB. The Pirates added the lefty in the minor league Rule 5 draft this past offseason.
Altoona Batter: Derek Berg
Stats: 6-for-15, 5 R, 2 2B, 2 HR, 3 RBI
Berg homered twice over the weekend. The catcher went 4-for-5 with two doubles and a home run on Saturday, then followed that with another blast on Sunday. He now has a career-best nine home runs on the season, with eight of those coming in Double-A.
Greensboro Pitcher: Treyson Peters
Stats: 2.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 0 HR
Peters threw 2.2 shutout innings in relief over the weekend. The Pirates added the 6’ 7” right-hander as an undrafted free agent last year. His fastball only sits 91 MPH, and he shows some promise with a slider. He’s been hurt by home runs while pitching in Greensboro. The big frame from Peters could allow for some added velocity on his fastball in the future.
Bradenton Pitcher: Michael Walsh
Stats: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 0 HR
Walsh was promoted to Indianapolis in June, then went on the injured list. He rehabbed this past week in the FCL with a shutout inning, then went to Bradenton to throw 1.2 shutout frames with three strikeouts. The 2022 ninth rounder should help fill out the upper level bullpens when is fully healthy.
Bradenton Batter: Brent Iredale
Stats: 2-for-8, 2 2B, RBI, 4 BB
Iredale is older for A-ball at age 23, but has some of the best raw power at the level. The 2025 seventh rounder hit two doubles over the weekend, while walking four times. He has a .374 OBP this season, due to a 16.6% walk rate. He’s batting .303 with a .984 OPS in his last ten games.
FCL Pirates Pitcher: McLane Moody
Stats: 3.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, 0 HR
The Pirates went over-slot on Moody in the 15th round last year. He’s been very raw this year, but the 6’ 7” 19-year-old shows some potential. His fastball sits 93 MPH and his changeup has a 58.8% whiff rate. In two relief appearances this week he combined for 3.2 shutout frames. Control has been his biggest problem this year, with a 38.3% walk rate, including two walks this week.
FCL Pirates Batter: Carlos Tejera
Stats: 6-for-14, 3 R, 2 HR, 4 RBI, SB, 2 BB
The Pirates like Tejera, who signed as an international free agent earlier this season, and already received a rare in-season promotion to the FCL. He homered twice this past week, while picking up hits in all four games. The big standout from his first seven games in the FCL is a .397 OBP from a 19.2% walk rate.
DSL Pirates Pitcher: Justino Francisco
Stats: 4.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, 0 HR
The Pirates signed Francisco last year, but he only threw 3.2 innings. He went four innings this week, striking out three. What stands out is he has yet to allow an earned run. He’s thrown 17.1 shutout innings across nine games in his career, with a .175 average against and an 11:8 K/BB.
DSL Pirates Batter: Limanol Payero
Stats: 2-for-6, 2 R, 2 2B, 3 RBI, 5 BB
Payero had his best week of the season, hitting his first two doubles and walking five times. He’s an on-base machine, with a .362 rate this season from an 18.6 walk rate. He hits .182, so most of his game has been getting on base via walks, with a bit of pop when he connects.
One More Report
Richard Ramirez has stood out to me lately, on both sides of the ball.
His hitting has been great lately, with four home runs, a .385 average and a 1.237 OPS over his last ten games. He’s been a clutch performer, with several big plays late in the game. This past weekend saw him pick up three hits, including his ninth homer of the year.
Defensively, he grades well behind the plate. He’s got a 41.5% caught stealing rate this season, along with two pickoffs. The only catcher in the organization with a higher caught stealing rate is Henry Davis.
The 21-year-old Ramirez was signed by the Pirates in 2022, and he’s gradually increased his hitting and power production since then. This year has seen a boost to his power numbers, which may be assisted by a 2.4 degree increase in his launch angle. He’s also hitting the ball harder then before, with more frequent hard hits.
I’ve been doing a lot of prospect ranking work lately, and Ramirez is a player who stands out as a sleeper for the top ten in the Pirates’ system. A catcher with power and good defense is rare, and Ramirez has the skills to become one of those rare catchers.
Until the next time I go live…
-Tim Williams