Early 2024 prospects trending up in the Pirates system
A look at some prospects in the Pirates' system trending in the right direction.
Sometimes, no matter how much you prepare, you don’t truly learn until you do something.
I’ve become aware of this for multiple reasons over the last few weeks, including my Bradenton trip.
The main thing I’m talking about here is our Top 25 prospect list. I was thrilled with how it turned out; the write-ups, I think, reflect just how much we watch these prospects.
Having backup plans, though, wasn’t something I wasn’t quite ready for. I figured about graduations but didn’t think about trades or waiver claims and how they could be added or subtracted from the system.
We at the site have been discussing it for the last couple of weeks, and I discussed it again in Bradenton when I met with WTM.
We will update our Top 25 list sometime early in June and try to make it a little more ‘life happens’ proof.
In the meantime, we will keep the list as is, but know that behind the scenes, we are working on an update. I have my initial rough draft, which I will tinker with over the next week before exchanging it with WTM and Nola to develop a final list for the site.
Most of the write-ups will stay the same unless something drastic changes in the player’s profile.
While we put the list together, I figured I’d review some players improving their ‘stock’ early this season.
Patrick Reilly, RHP
Original Ranking: NR
Reilly was someone I was excited about heading into the season. The stuff was there, it was just a matter of how well he would be able to control it.
Stretching him out as a starter, he has kept the walks in check without sacrificing his ability to punch batters out.
The stuff has played even in longer outings, with his fastball getting a lot of movement at the top of the zone. There is still some reliever risk, but he’s certainly heading in the right direction.
While the base 5.20 ERA doesn’t look pretty, he’s given up some soft ‘Greensboro’ home runs and has a 3.36 xFIP. He also has among the highest SwStr% in the entire system.
Charles McAdoo, 3B, OF, 1B
Original Ranking: NR
McAdoo was a player I tried my hardest not to buy into until he reached Double-A. His profile screamed something that he could dominate Greensboro, which he has.
However, McAdoo has been one of the lone bright spots in a system that has struggled to get consistent hitting. As of Saturday morning, he’s in a tie for the system lead in home runs (six) and is also tops in RBI and top 10 in stolen bases while posting a 160 wRC+.
He’s made solid contact (10.4 SwStr%) and has slashed .308/.381/.538.
McAdoo still may not make the final list, but he’s trending in the right direction.
Hunter Barco, LHP
Original Ranking: 16
This came down to Barco or Michael Kennedy, two left-handed starting pitchers in the lower levels who have been off to a fantastic start.
After missing most of last year due to recovering from Tommy John, this is Barco’s first full season in pro ball, and he hasn’t disappointed. We saw him a bit in Bradenton last year, and while he flashed some above-average control, the fastball was a bit underwhelming.
It’s ticked up this year, including flashing 94 at the Spring Breakout. He currently has a 13.8 SwStr% and a 48.4 GB%, meaning a high percentage of hitters are either whiffing or just beating the ball into the ground.
The near 50% groundball rate is a big reason he has a 1.88 ERA at First National Bank Field, but the ability to get some misses with the fastball is taking him to another level.
Lefties can dominate the lower levels if they display enough pitch mix and control, so I leaned toward the one doing it at a higher level.
Bonus: Alessandro Eroclani, RHP
Original Ranking: NR
It's one thing that he made it to Greensboro at 19 (although he’s turned 20 since), but the fact that Ercolani is holding his own at such an advanced level at his age is impressive and worth mentioning.
He had a rough Arizona Fall League but has bounced back and gotten his walk rate under 10% while actually improving on his strikeout rate from the previous year in Bradenton.
Ercolani has caught the Greensboro bug, with a 7.04 ERA at home and a 1.47 on the road. Realistically, there have only been two starts at home, though, and one was rough, so the numbers are still inflated from a smaller sample size.
Like McAdoo, I don’t know if he makes the Top 25, but the arrow is trending in the right direction.
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We badly need some wins in the minor league system with tuna looking pretty terrible, glad to see we have some guys separating themselvse
Great stuff. Excited to see a few less heralded guys breaking out