Minor-league top performers: Chandler, Griffin stand out
Who were the top performers from last week in the Pirates system?
Last week was the first time all four full-season affiliates were in action for an entire slate of games. There were plenty of standout performances, and now, each week, we are going to highlight three pitchers and three hitters in the Pirates’ system who stood out the previous week.
Three Hitters
Maclom Nunez
Last Week: .333/.316/.778, 2 2B, 2 HR, 4 RBI
Acquired in the Jose Quintana trade along with Johan Oviedo, Malcom Nunez began the season with the Indianapolis Indians again, the fourth year he has spent time at Triple-A.
He flashed some of his power last week, hitting four extra base hits (two doubles, two home runs). Nunez finished the week strong, with three extra base hits over the weekend.
Tres Gonzalez
Last Week: .412/.524/.588, 3 2B, RBI, 3 BB, 0 K, 3 R (7-16)
Tres Gonzalez, the former Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket, was drafted for his strong hit tool and advanced approach. He showed some of that last week against the Akron RubberDucks.
He picked up seven hits in 16 at-bats and recorded three doubles. He also walked three times and didn’t strike out at all.
Konnor Griffin
Last Week: .316/.440/.632, 2B, 3B, HR, 6 RBI, 3 BB, 7 K, 5 R, 3/4 SB
The Pirates’ top pick from the 2024 draft, Konnor Griffin, got his first three extra base hits of his career last year, a double, triple, and home run. The triple and home run came in the same game, the latter of which gave the Marauders the lead late.
He’s showing a strong ability to hit velocity, and is showing top-of-the-scale type of speed on the bases. Griffin has also been handling shortstop well after committing an error the first weekend.
Three Pitchers
Bubba Chandler
Last Week: 8 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 14 K
Bubba Chandler pitched twice last week and was every bit the top prospect that he was. In eight innings, Chandler struck out 14 while only walking two. His only real mistake was a hitter finding a way to turn on a 101 mph fastball for a home run.
Nearly half of his pitches were called strikes or whiffs, producing a miss rate with his fastball of over 40%. He also hit triple-digits a total of five times over the two starts.
Anthony Solometo
Last Week: 5 IP, H, ER, BB, 5 K
It’s now two starts this season for Anthony Solometo, and both have been at least five innings. This time around, he struck out five and only walked one. One of the five strikeouts was against the most recent first overall pick, Travis Bazzana.
He mixed his pitches well and was effective against righties—two of his five punchouts were against them.
Braxton Ashcraft
Last Week: 5 IP, 3 H, ER, 6 K
It didn’t start well, but Braxton Ashcraft quickly shifted things back in the right direction. He allowed a home run on the first pitch he threw, but quickly turned things around and was stellar the rest of the way.
He allowed just two more hits over five innings, striking out six without allowing a walk.
The slider continues to dominate, as he picked up nine whiffs on 12 swings (75%) that day.
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With Endy hurt, now is the time for Hank to do what essentially no other positional prospect has been able to do in the last 3+ years: take advantage of the opportunity and prove he belongs in the majors.
Braylon Bishop earned an honorable mention, with 6 hits in 15 at bats (.400) and his defense mentioned yesterday.