Position: 3B
Height: 6’0”
Weight: 190 lbs
Bats/Throws: R/R
Born: 03/11/2001
College: University of Notre Dame
How Acquired: Draft 3rd round, 83rd Overall, 2022
Bonus: $770,700
40-man Roster: No
Rule 5 Eligible: 2025
Minor League Free Agency: 2028
Options Left: 3
Overview
Brannigan may present something of a puzzle for the Pirates. He’s a very athletic player with excellent tools and the Pirates announced him as a two-way player. He served as a reliever and third baseman in college, and wants to play third going forward. Scouts, though, think he has a higher ceiling on the mound. His fastball sits above 95 mph and he’s reached 100. He also has a slider that can be a big swing-and-miss pitch, and his change has some potential. His control isn’t good, but with his athleticism he could improve his mechanics. He totaled only 23.1 IP in his college career, with 38 strikeouts, including 28 in 14.2 IP in 2022. He also walked 14 and had a career ERA of 6.94.
At third, Brannigan could be a plus defender. He hasn’t hit consistently, with a .288 career average and raw power that didn’t shown up a great deal in games in college. He also hasn’t hit well with wood bats in summer ball. He doesn’t control the strike zone well, as shown by 111 career strikeouts and 44 walks. He has very good speed, but wasn’t a big base stealer in college. Baseball America ranked Brannigan 168th among draft prospects and MLB.com had him 164th. The Pirates probably see him as having more potential than he’s shown on the field so far. They said they have a little more interest in Brannigan as a third baseman but will try to develop him as a two-way player. So far, though, there’s no sign of him taking the mound. Brannigan signed for exactly the slot amount.
2022-23
Brannigan strictly played third in his debut. After a couple games in the FCL, he moved up to Bradenton. He didn’t hit a great deal, although he at least showed some power and a willingness to take pitches. His defense at third was impressive, as he has good hands and agility, and not surprisingly, a strong arm.
In 2023, the Pirates sent Brannigan back to Bradenton, then he got hurt a week into the season. He was out over a month and struggled when he got back, hitting .125 over the last half of May. Then in June he started hitting for power. The Pirates promoted him to Greensboro in July and he hit 299/382/605 in 38 games there. He hit 12 home runs, giving him 19 on the season in just 87 games. He did not have a big home/road split, which is often the case with Greensboro. The power came with a high K rate, 33.5% at Greensboro. On defense, Brannigan spent a little over half his time at third, the rest at second and short, mainly the latter. He looks as though he can handle all the infield positions, much like Jared Triolo.
2024
Brannigan spent 2024 with Greensboro, although he missed about six weeks, starting in late July, with an injury. He also missed a couple of weeks in June. He hit reasonably well through the season’s first three months, then had big months in July and September, albeit in limited action: .961 July OPS (17 games) and .952 September OPS (6 games). His final line of 238/344/490, was above league average, especially the slugging. Brannigan’s 18 home runs were good for fourth in the league despite the missed time. He hit ten at home and eight on the road, so it wasn’t totally a product of the Greensboro ballpark. Defensively, Brannigan played short, third and second, in that order of frequency.
Stats
Transactions
July 18, 2022: Drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 3rd round, 83rd overall pick; signed on July 22.