Bradenton Trip Recap: There are some intriguing hitters in the lower levels

The system could be looked at in a completely different light by the end of the season.

The rain cut my trip short by a couple of games, but overall, it was a great look at the lower part of the Pittsburgh Pirates’ organization. In total, I saw nine games in just over a week down in Bradenton—five at the Complex and another four with the Marauders.

Any time you talk about the Pittsburgh Pirates minor league system, the attention goes to the pitching, as it should. Their Triple-A rotation is made up of either current or former top 100 prospects, and they have some intriguing names the further you go down that have the potential to make the majors some day.

It’s been a different story for the hitting, as they’ve struggled to develop hitters into major league contributors during Ben Cherington’s tenure as general manager.

While they still have a ways to go, there is a chance the system is looked at in a completely different light by the end of the season.