Pittsburgh Pirates 2023 minor league pitcher of the year: Anthony Solometo

Earned promotion to Double-A, where he became one of the youngest player at the level

Photo Credit: WTM

Anthony Solometo has played two years in the Pirates organization, and has done nothing but shown he is by far more advanced than what you would expect from someone his age.

There has constantly been questions about his game on the mound, but he’s responded and answered them convincingly.

That’s why he is the Bucs on Deck Pirates’ minor league pitcher of the year for the 2023 season.

He made the jump up to High-A Greensboro, a ball park that notoriously favors hitters, and only allowed two home runs through 12 starts at the level. He struck out just a tad under 30% of the hitters he faced (29.1%), and saw his velocity get up to as high as 95 mph - a big jump from his time in Bradenton last year.

After posting a 2.30 ERA in 58.1 innings, Solometo was promoted to Altoona, becoming one of the youngest players at the Double-A level.

He slipped a bit later in the season, but overall not only held his own, but also improved on his control (6.5 BB%) and did so against much stronger competition.

With the added control and velocity, Solometo showed he was a legitimate starting pitching prospect and his work over the entire year gets him the nod.

Like the hitter of the year, we each gave our top three, along with the writeup, here’s a look at who everyone picked and why.

NolaJeffy - Solometo

This was tough. In the end, I went with the pitcher that was among the top 5 in various statistical categories of pitchers who had thrown at least 80 IP. Anthony Solometo had the best ERA (3.26), FIP (3.46), xFIP (3.92), and WHIP (1.19). He had the fifth best K% (26.2%), that was a hair behind my runner-up, Bubba Chandler (26.4%).

It is kind of crazy to think that he is still only 20 years old, and won’t turn 21 until December. He dominated High-A enough in 58.2 IP, that he was moved rather quickly to Double-A. Solometo saw his fair share of pushback once in Double-A, but he more than held his own even if his ERA jumped from 2.30 to 4.35.

His FIP went from 3.14 to 3.84, and xFIP from 3.70 to 4.17. The K-rate dropped from 29.1% to 23.0%, but the BB% also dropped from 10.7% to 6.5%. The future is bright for the big lefty, and I look forward to the steps he takes in the off-season for a big 2024 year.

WTM - Solometo

There was a common pattern with the Pirates’ top pitching prospects:  They’d dominate at one level, then scuffle some after promotion.  That happened with Solometo.  He put up a 2.30 ERA at Greensboro and allowed just two long balls in 58.2 IP despite pitching in a bandbox home park. 

Opponents hit just .207 against him.  Altoona was more of a challenge and he had some rough games there.  His underlying numbers, though, were still good:   1.22 WHIP, 2.4 BB/9, 8.7 K/9.  The low walk rate is significant because occasional control blips have been Solometo’s main weakness. 

Context is also important.  Solometo had just 47.2 IP as a pro before this year, yet spent half the year in AA as a 20-year-old.  It was a very significant season for him.

Ryan Palencer - Jared Jones

I decided to go a bit of a dark horse route. Clearly, Anthony Solometo and Bubba Chandler are the favorites. However, with Jones, he quietly had a very strong year. While overall, his numbers were not sparkling at AAA, Jones ended the year in a dominant fashion.

He allowed just 11 hits into earned runs, and his last three starts, spanning 17.2 innings. Over that stretch, he struck out 18 and walked just four. He was equally dominant to start the season with Altoona before getting pushed to Indianapolis. Additionally, Jones’s numbers are inflated by three tough starts in Indianapolis.

In those three, he allowed 17 of his 43 earned runs and 18 of his 74 hits allowed. While Solometo and Chandler were challenged as well, I give Jones the nod based on being at Minor League baseball’s highest level.

My picks

1. Anthony Solometo

2. Jared Jones

3. Thomas Harrington