Keiner Delgado has an exciting toolset to watch

Acquired from the Yankees, Delgado has flashed a speed/power combination at the plate

Photo Credit: WTM

BRADENTON—After missing the 2023 season due to Tommy John surgery, JT Brubaker was set to find his way back onto the mound at some point this season.

However, it won’t be with the Pirates, the team that drafted him. He was traded to the New York Yankees in exchange for a player to be named later. The Pirates even added some international pool money to sweeten the pot, potentially adding to the return.

Still, when you see ‘player to be named later’, there isn’t usually high expectations. So, it was a little bit of a surprise that they got infielder Keiner Delgado back, a top-25 prospect in the Yankees system.

At 19 years old, Delgado scored 54 runs and stole 36 bases in 49 games with the FCL Yankees in 2023. He walked more times than he struck out, leading to a .293/.414/.485 line and, despite his smaller frame, recorded 21 extra-base hits in less than 200 at-bats, eight of which were home runs.