Sammy Stafura is the Pirates Prospects Player of the Month
The Greensboro shortstop hit 14 home runs during the month of July. Antwone Kelly took pitching honors with 15 shutout innings in Triple-A.
Sammy Stafura had a month for the ages in July.
The Greensboro shortstop hit 14 home runs, leading to a 1.305 OPS, which was more than enough for him to be the Pirates Prospects Player of the Month.
Stafura’s home runs weren’t cheap, and weren’t just a product of Greensboro. There were several cases where he hit the ball beyond 400 feet, including a few shots that went around 450 feet. In an impressive show of consistency, he homered in 11 of his 18 games during the month, having more games with a home run than without.
There were three games where Stafura hit multiple home runs. Two of those came on the road, which continues to display this power surge wasn’t just a product of Greensboro’s hitter-friendly park. Beyond the home runs, Stafura hit four doubles and stole six bases, while batting .358.
The power surge from Stafura makes him a candidate to move up to Altoona. He was acquired one year ago in the return for Ke’Bryan Hayes.
Antwone Kelly was the minor league Pitcher of the Month.
The right-hander threw 15 shutout innings for Indianapolis, working in a depth role for the MLB level. Kelly was called up to Pittsburgh twice during the month, but maintained consistency in the minors between calls.
The first call came after he threw six shutout innings for Indianapolis on July 3rd. He pitched two innings in relief in the Pirates’ bullpen, then was returned to Triple-A. His next two starts saw four and then five shutout innings. After that, he was called up to the big leagues for three shutout innings on Friday night.
Kelly was since optioned back to Indianapolis on Saturday morning. He should continue serving as pitching depth, although the Pirates can only option him one more time this season before he has to be in the Majors for good.
Individual Level Standouts
Here are the July leaders for each individual level, including a few hitters who might have been the top player in a normal month.
Indianapolis Batter: Enmanuel Valdez
Stats: 26-for-82, 14 R, 4 2B, 7 HR, 24 RBI, 10 BB
Valdez is a minor league veteran in his age 27 season, and has been an anchor for the Indianapolis offense over the last month. He hit half of his 14 homers this season in July, while adding four doubles. He showed good plate patience, only striking out 11.6% of the time, while walking 10.5% and getting on base at a .389 rate. With Ryan O’Hearn out, Valdez could become an important depth option at first base.
Altoona Pitcher: Brandon Neeck
Stats: 13.1 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 18 K, 0 HR
After an impressive month in Double-A, which only saw him allow one earned run in 13.1 innings, the Pirates moved Neeck up to Indianapolis. The left-handed reliever started the year in Triple-A, then moved down to Altoona, despite decent numbers in Triple-A. The Pirates added him in the minor league phase of the 2025 Rule 5 draft, which is typically where a team finds organizational depth. Neeck could be emerging as legit bullpen depth, fueled by a 93 MPH fastball and a sweeper with a 51% whiff rate.
Altoona Batter: Lonnie White Jr.
Stats: 22-for-78, 14 R, 2 2B, 8 HR, 13 RBI, 2 SB, 11 BB
White had a strong finish to the month of July, hitting six of his eight home runs over the last nine games. He had two games with multiple home runs, and had multiple hits in five of those games. That included one four hit game with a home run. This continues the breakout season for White, who is hitting .279/.374/.548 for Altoona and has 22 homers between High-A and Double-A. He’s shown an issue with strikeouts, but the power production and on-base abilities lower the swing and miss concern. His power emergence, carried over to Altoona, has been one of the best developments in the system this year.
Greensboro Pitcher: Seth Hernandez
Stats: 11.2 IP, 13 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 3 BB, 18 K, 2 HR
The month ended on a down note for Hernandez. After throwing three shutout innings in his final start, he was placed on the injured list with an oblique injury, which likely ends his season. Prior to that, he made an appearance in the Futures Game, and struck out 18 in 11.2 innings as his innings totals were beginning to be monitored. Outside of home runs in Greensboro, Hernandez had a great first full pro season. He emerged as the top pitching prospect in the game, and could be in line for Altoona to start the 2027 season.
Bradenton Pitcher: Levi Sterling
Stats: 24.1 IP, 16 H, 9 R, 9 ER, 10 BB, 32 K, 2 HR
Sterling is quietly emerging as one of the most interesting pitching prospects in the lower levels. He doesn’t have an elite fastball, sitting 93-94 MPH. He does have a six-pitch mix with swing and miss stuff from his slider (34.2% whiff), curveball (40%), and cutter (30%). The well-rounded 19-year-old starter had the third-highest strikeout rate in the Pirates’ minor league system in July, and a top 10 ERA. If he ever improves his velocity, he could emerge as one of the top pitchers in the system.
Bradenton Batter: Richard Ramirez
Stats: 26-for-81, 12 R, 7 2B, 9 HR, 21 RBI, 8 BB
Had it not been for Stafura, Ramirez would have had an easy case for Player of the Month. He hit nine home runs during the month of Jult, while adding seven doubles and getting on base at a .387 rate. He had the fifth-best OBP in the Pirates’ minor league system, and tied for second in home runs and doubles. His month was filled with clutch plays, including a few game winners where he was either knocking in or scoring the winning run. Ramirez also shows good abilities behind the plate, led by a 42.6% caught stealing rate.
FCL Pirates Pitcher: Dioris Martinez
Stats: 7.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 9 K, 0 HR
Martinez made five relief appearances for the FCL in July, combining for seven innings without an earned run. He was later promoted to Bradenton, where he allowed one run in four innings. He had 14 strikeouts in 11 innings between the two levels, but did show some control problems, especially after moving to Low-A. The 19-year-old pitcher can touch 97-98 MPH, sitting 94-95.
FCL Pirates Batter: Hyun Seung Lee
Stats: 14-for-47, 7 R, 4 2B, 3B, HR, 14 RBI, SB, 6 BB
Lee finished a breakout season in the FCL with his sixth homer of the year, four doubles, and a triple in July. He was the best hitter at the level all season, batting .309/.396/.569, while showing impressive power from a middle infield spot. That didn’t carry over to Low-A Bradenton, but he should get a full season at the higher level next year, aiming to build on his results from his second pro season this year.
DSL Pirates Pitcher: Yhosneiber Torres
Stats: 12.2 IP, 3 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 15 BB, 14 K, 0 HR
Torres has shown improvements in his second pro season. He had a 6.53 ERA in 30.1 innings last year, and improved to a 3.41 ERA in 29 innings this year. Those improvements come from a lowered average against, going from .314 to .163. His walk rate has doubled, but he’s barely allowing hits, and his home run rate has dropped in the process. The 17-year-old lefty should be a candidate for the FCL next season.
DSL Pirates Batter: Wilton Guerrero Jr.
Stats: 22-for-53, 19 R, 4 2B, 9 RBI, 10 SB, 9 BB
The Pirates’ top international signing for 2026, Guerrero had a big month in July. He hit four doubles, stole ten bases, and reached base at an incredible .508 rate. This was an across the board upgrade for Guerrero, whose month of June had power and speed, but only a .696 OPS as he lacked consistency. The early adjustment is good to see, potentially giving Guerrero a path to the FCL in his sophomore season next year.
One More Report
Jhonny Severino was yet another hitter overshadowed by Sammy Stafura during the month of July.
Severino was tied for second in home runs, hitting nine during the month. He added his tenth on August 1st, giving him a minor league system leading 27 on the season. This is a big step up for Severino, whose previous season high was 16 homers in 2024 between the FCL and Low-A.
The Pirates added Severino three years ago at the trade deadline in exchange for Carlos Santana. At the time, Severino was an 18-year-old in rookie ball, who stood out for his power potential. That has carried over and improved to the higher levels. It’s not just a Greensboro thing, as he’s hit double-digit home runs on the road this year.
Originally a middle infielder, Severino has only played 11.2 innings the last two seasons at shortstop, and none this year. He’s added left field to his position list, while also spending time at third base. Left field seems more likely for his future, which puts more emphasis on power being his driving tool.
There are also contact issues. Severino has a .306 OBP this year, so most of his offensive value comes from power. He does have the ability to steal bases when he gets on, with 13 steals on the season. The power stands out as some of the best in the system, but he’s also becoming more of a one-tool guy who needs the power to drive his value.
A big test for Severino will be his eventual jump to Double-A. The power is likely to carry over, but the frequency of power could be impacted by going up against better pitchers.
Until the next time I go live…
-Tim Williams