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theobserver's avatar

Rivas with two more homers today. I know that's a hitters' league down there, but a 1.091 OPS and .355 avg is going to garner some serious interest in any level and league.

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Chris Chapman's avatar

I note that Wilber Dotel is dominating AA as well. He is nowhere on the Fangraphs top 38 for Pirates. #18 on here.

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Catch22's avatar

Same person that told me about Sanders, said Dotel could be the next Luis L Ortiz.

Sometimes these guys come out of nowhere.

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Scott Kliesen's avatar

Take the training wheels off Barco and promote him already!

#Jeesh

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TNBucs's avatar

Only so many pitches in that arm, make them count!

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Catch22's avatar

Is it just me or does it seem they're hell bent on keeping their stud starters at a hard ~75 pitch limit?

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Anthony Murphy's avatar

Not uncommon early in the season. The St Paul broadcasters mentioned Zebby Matthews was on a strict 75 pitch or 5 inning cap for yesterday against Indianapolis.

Minor league spring training isn’t the length of major league so the build up carries over into the season

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Catch22's avatar

Thanks for this. Hopefully around Memorial Day, we'll see Bubba and Barco around the century mark.

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Anthony Murphy's avatar

They did the same thing with Bubba last year and he finished with 120 innings so he’ll get there.

He’s probably also on the Skenes map as well, saving most of the innings for the majors.

I think the hope for Barco is around 100 innings, so maybe they push this a little longer to keep him fresh.

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NMR's avatar
Apr 23Edited

Hunter Barco train has left the barn. Top Hundo by mid-season.

That being said, I'll never claim to know what the hell I'm looking at and Javy Rivas is another reason why. You could tell me he's a top 10 prospect in the org and scratching the top 100 overall and I'd believe it. That kid looks like an absolute stud this year.

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Melkel's avatar

I hope they are somewhat aggressive with both, a few more good outings from Barco then a promotion to Indy. If Rivas keeps the strikeouts down and solid contact rates high, move him up to Altoona.

As much as I liked the signing of Heaney and his performance so far, he's their best bet at getting a decent bat back. Come June and if they are out of contention Heaney should be shopped especially if Barco is knocking on the big clubs door.

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NMR's avatar

Fully agree with Barco.

Pitchers only have so many bullets in the chamber and I think there's an argument that he's fully developed right now, save for *maybe* some additional time to ramp up to a big league workload.

Barco is the most major league-ready starter in the system.

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Melkel's avatar

Should have put a June promotion for Rivas, 2 good months. Brannigan and Rivas would make a decent left side of the infield there defensively, splitting time at each position.

I wouldn't mind if they promoted Barco today, I think he can handle it.

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NMR's avatar

Strong agree there, too, and I'd optimistically add Alfonzo to the list.

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WTM's avatar

Rivas went deep again today.

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WTM's avatar

Twice

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JRC21's avatar

On the road.

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WTM's avatar

++

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NMR's avatar

be still my heart!

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WTM's avatar

Dunno if it was mentioned here, but Shugart got his first career W.

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StatsCbl's avatar

Ah, Shugart Shugart

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Hoptown's avatar

Pass the Shugart!

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Catch22's avatar

Anton Shugart

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WTM's avatar

One of the scariest movie characters ever.

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Catch22's avatar

The scariest!

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Catch22's avatar

Anyone have anything on Sanders? Closing for 'Tona...heard he hits triple digits

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Anthony Murphy's avatar

I heard someone mention upper 90s during one of his games. That’s about it. High A and Double A are rough with that because it’s hard to get stuff like velocity.

I’ll be in Altoona later this year so if he’s still there I’ll be able to figure out then

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WTM's avatar

FWIW, FG gives him a 50 for FB and CH, and 55 for SL and CU, but 30 command.

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WTM's avatar

Don’t know what he’s throwing now. He’s always missed bats but control has been a chronic issue.

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Mario's avatar

Saw him Thursday night in Altoona. I think it was like 7 pitchs to finish the 9th. 2 Ks and a grounder back to the mound. Gun had him in the upper 90s, but I think the Altoona gun may be a bit hot.

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WTM's avatar

I remember from years ago that the gun there wasn't too reliable.

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WTM's avatar

Crap, just checked and it looks like there’s no tracking data in the Eastern League.

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Mel Schuster - emjayinTN's avatar

Thanks for the conversation regarding Liover Peguero. The Pirates need to have a legit Shortstop and pushing IKF over to 2B would probably be the best option. We all know that IKF and Frazier are short-timers at best as we get closer to the AS Game/Trading deadline. Due to the NG injury, Frazier has already played as many innings as anybody would have projected, so limited exposure would be his May - July outlook.

Pirates hit very well and got enough pitching to back it up

AA - HR by TJ, but an unusual 3 K's. Barco continues to impress.

A+ Did not know they gave an error for interference - Rivas last night. Connor Oliver with a very impressive 4 IP, 3 H, 5 K 0 BB, 0 Runs.

At A, liked the work of Clevari Tejada, Isaias Uribe (6'3" LHRP) and Hunter Furtado (6'4" LHRP).

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Chris Chapman's avatar

Typical Termarr. Rarely, if ever, does he have a game where it all clicks. There always seems to be something negative to whatever positive he does, at least to my mind.

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Mel Schuster - emjayinTN's avatar

And, then a look at the roster shows him to be 2 years younger than the two guys who are 23 and at least 3 years younger than all the rest of the position players on the team. Trailing only Jase Bowen of the regulars with a .741 OPS to Bowen's .758, and fielding 1.000 at 2B. 2 HR/2 Doubles, 6 RBI's from leadoff in 53 AB. He's a player.

Hopefully see him with the Pirates by mid-2026. Think BC likes his 2022 Draft? The first 4 off the board to the Pirates were Termarr Johnson, Thomas Harrington, Hunter Barco, and Jack Brannigan - all have a chance to be with the Pirates in 2026. Harrington and Barco possibly with exposures this year at MLB.

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Chris Chapman's avatar

Today was a good day for Termarr: 2 hits and a walk. Good point about his age but he has been a strange prospect to follow ever since he was drafted. How people talked about him and what he has been thus far have been world’s apart.

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Aurorus Borealus's avatar

I don't think there is that big of a gap between realistic expectations and Johnson's performance. He is 20 and moved through the system in his college years. At Johnson's current age, Paul Skenes was an obscure transfer from Air Force to LSU.

With any first-round draft pick, there is always the hyperventilating and the outrageous comps. Johnson is no exception in this regard. What he has shown me, at least, so far is that he was a legitimate first-round pick and that he has a chance to be a very good major-league player.

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Chris Chapman's avatar

Quote from draft day…

PITTSBURGH -- Termarr Johnson was in tears as he walked up to embrace 11-year Pirates infielder Kevin Young and don the team’s black-and-yellow jersey for the first time in what the club hopes will be a long pro career.

• 2022 Draft Central

But underlying that emotion is a confidence that has propelled the 5-foot-10 infielder, whom Pittsburgh selected with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft, to where he found himself in that moment. A confidence that led Johnson to make a grand but succinct description of what the Pirates are getting in him.

"They're getting the best player in the Draft."

Given what was said on draft day I expected a different kind of hitter. I’m not saying he can’t become something good or that the hype can’t be wrong, but his reputation has slid since he went Pro. I like what he is doing at AA. I have been surprised by his fairly low averages in these first years.

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Aurorus Borealus's avatar

He was 18 when he said that, and he may not be wrong. Look the other prep bats in that draft.

Holliday? Yeah... he's in the majors, but not doing anything. Elijah Green... a mess in A-ball. Druw Jones? A little less of a mess, but still in A-ball. DeLauter, Williams, and Romero are all in AA and have slightly better numbers than Johnson, but not anything that jumps up and yells, "this guy is going to be better than Johnson." Isaac is in AA with comparable numbers to Johnson.

Even among the college bats in that draft, the only one who has really established himself in the majors thus far is Neto, and a lot of the college bats are in AA too like Jones and Gavin Cross.

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