Pittsburgh Pirates State of the System 2024: Outfielders
Pittsburgh Pirates State of the System 2024: Outfielders
Hope sits at the very bottom of the system
The outfield got a boost at the major league level this season when Oneil Cruz shifted from shortstop to center field. That puts their two best-position players lining up right next to each other when you factor in Bryan Reynolds.
Considering Cruz still has some years of control left, and Reynolds signed to a long-term contract that gives some security regarding two-thirds of the outfield for at least the foreseeable future.
Which, is a good thing since the immediate help on the way in the minors is questionable at best. There are some interesting names to follow, but little certainty.
40-man roster
There is only one player on the 40-man that retains any kind of prospect status in the outfield—Billy Cook.
He was acquired in a minor league trade with the Baltimore Orioles, as the Pirates sent pitcher Patrick Reilly the other way.
Cook, 25, played in 16 games for the Pirates at the end of the year. While he hit three home runs in that span, he struck out 38% of the time. The defense will be enough to allow him to at least hold a bench spot.
The advanced metrics were really high on him in his brief stint with the Pirates. Two things that the Pirates struggled with last year were power and defense—something Cook can bring to the table (along with some speed).
Upper-level depth
Matt Gorski easily leads this group. He’s had three consecutive seasons of 20 home runs and is one of the best defensive outfielders in the system.
That seems like it should be enough to get a shot in the majors, but he’s struggled with swing and miss most of his minor league career.
Once the Minor League Player of the Year, Matt Fraizer has stalled out in Altoona. Tres Gonzalez and Jase Bowen were discussed as potential prospects but are also heading toward becoming depth guys.
Prospects?
Lonnie White Jr. has the most upside of any outfielder in the system, at least if/when Konnor Griffin makes a permanent move out there. He’s struggled, but it’s hard to give up on the tools.
That’s the same case you can make for Braylon Bishop and Shalin Polanco, who played in Bradenton this season. Polanco could rival Gorski as the best defensive outfielder and has shown some pop, but the plate discipline may keep him from getting out of A Ball.
Hudson Head received $3 million after being drafted in the third round. There was an overheard conversation between scouts while I was in Greensboro, with one amazed that Head hadn’t amounted to much despite the obvious talent there.
Mitch Jebb is still listed as an infielder, but I left him off that article because his clear future is in the outfield, where he presents some intrigue with his speed. He has little to no power, so he’ll have to find success as a slap-hitting center fielder.
After getting stuck in Greensboro, Sammy Siani finally broke through and looked to be on a potential path that could find him in the majors. He’s in the Fall League and doing well early on.
Rookie Level guys
This is where things get interesting. There’s some talent down here, but the variance is so high right now.
Estuar Suero has the tools and is still young, but missed time again in the Complex and struggled when healthy. The guy can fly around the bases and play a good center field.
I generally try to avoid things happening in the Dominican Republic, but it’s worth mentioning some of the players there. There are many who are better than me at this, but I still prefer to wait until I see a prospect with my own eyes before I go too much into any type of evaluation.
That conversation starts with Edward Florentino, who has recently gotten some attention from Baseball America. Iverson Allen has a ‘80 grade’ name but also strung some hits together.
Bralyn Brazoban was their big bonus signing during this international signing period, but they struggled. He has some tools to follow and did finish the DSL schedule on a four-game hitting streak.
Cristian Jauregui has stolen 32 bases the last two years in the DSL, and improved in almost every offensive category this season.
Strength of the System
Strengths: Like most of the hitting prospects in the system, they sit in the lower levels like Rookie Ball and Bradenton. It’s almost a strength-in-numbers approach, as there is talent down there, maybe enough that one should finally break through. While Billy Cook doesn’t have the most upside, his defense presents him with a pretty interesting floor.
Weaknesses: The top-end talent isn’t quite there. If Konnor Griffin ever has to jump to the outfield fully, it’d give them their top-hitting prospect to the group. While they have intriguing names, relying on prospects so far down in the minors is risky.
Top Prospect: Billy Cook. He doesn’t provide the kind of upside that Lonnie White Jr has, but he showed that he can contribute to a major league team in some sort of fashion.
It’s probably as a bench player, but there aren’t many guarantees in the upper levels when it comes to hitting prospects, and his defense/power combination seems to make him as close to one as you can get.
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Got to say that the money spent on the international players seems to be a waste, especially the high bonus players. Whether is developing or scouting the lack of success is concerning.
You don't want to overreact to 50 plate appearances, but the 38% k rate, and a 0% walk rate for Cook makes me a little nervous. Not consistent with his minor league numbers, but those are extreme.