Putting together a Spring Breakout roster for the Pittsburgh Pirates: Pitchers
Putting together a pitching staff for the Pirates' Spring Breakout game
Yesterday, we covered the hitting side, but today, I will put together a pitching staff for the Pirates Spring Breakout game against the Philadelphia Phillies on March 14 at 1:00 pm ET.
If you want a rundown of the lineup, follow the link below to check it out.
I decided to put 10 pitchers together to make my staff, and like the hitters, no one from the 40-man roster that has a legitimate shot at breaking camp with the major league team.
That leaves Braxton Ashcraft and Mike Burrows off due to being on the 40-man, and I also left Bubba Chandler off. Seeing Chandler pitch in the Breakout again would be fun, but if he has a chance to make the major league team, he should focus on that.
Here’s a look at the 10 pitchers I’d take to the Breakout this year.
Thomas Harrington
Hunter Barco
Wilber Dotel
Alessandro Ercolani
David Matoma
Carlson Reed
Zander Mueth
Khristian Curtis
Matt Ager
Ryan Harbin
Thomas Harrington gets the nod as the starter this year after missing the 2023 Breakout with a shoulder injury that sidelined him the first month of the season. He could be on the list as a candidate for the fifth rotation spot, but it doesn’t seem likely.
The lone lefty here, Hunter Barco, was the only pitcher in last year’s Breakout for the Pirates to pitch more than one inning. He flashed a mid-90s fastball and dominating change-up.
The Pirates had three pitchers hit triple-digits with their fastball in the minors last year (not including Paul Skenes), and this staff has two of them.
Wilber Dotel and Ryan Harbin hit 100 mph with their fastballs, and this kind of showcase is the perfect place to showcase velocity. Harbin struggles to throw strikes but can be unhittable with his high-velocity sinker/slider combination, while Dotel hit triple-digits with strikeouts and innings pitched in 2024.
Pitching primarily out of the bullpen, Alessandro Ercolani struck out 93 batters in 76.2 innings pitched. David Matoma is another pitcher who hit triple-digits, and this could be a good opportunity to showcase him out of the bullpen. He was named to the team last year but didn’t pitch.
Carlson Reed was our Breakout Player of the Year here on the site, finishing behind only Chandler when it comes to strikeouts among Pirates minor league pitchers.
Khristian Curtis began 2024 in the Spring Breakout and ended his year in the Arizona Fall League. The progress he’s made gets him another nod here.
Once considered a potential day-one pick in 2024, Matt Ager slipped to the sixth round for the Pirates to select. He never made his official debut, so what better way to showcase his skills in the Breakout, like Curtis did the previous year.
Zander Mueth gets 7 feet of extension while throwing from a release height of under 5 feet, giving him a unique delivery that would be fun to discuss during the broadcast.
Other players considered
Jaden Woods
Eddy Yean
Anthony Solometo
Levi Sterling
Antwone Kelly
Limiting it down to 10 pitchers wasn’t easy, as the Pirates have plenty of options in the system. Jaden Woods has a fastball that can reach the mid-90s from the left side and mixes in a slider and change-up.
Eddy Yean was a part of the Josh Bell trade and had a good year in 2024, pitching in the AFL. After missing the Breakout last year, Anthony Solometo is looking to rebound from a rough 2024. The Breakout would be a good starting point for him to get things going.
Levi Sterling was the top pitcher taken in the 2024 draft for the Pirates. He has a change-up with plus potential that he’s already comfortable with.
The Pirates have done well with prep pitchers, and Sterling will officially get his pro career underway this year.
Antwone Kelly has some experience pitching on bigger stages, throwing a shutout inning for the Netherlands during the World Baseball Classic.
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The showcase should be a showcase for Pirates pitching.
There should be a banner near the dugout that says, “Have pitching, need hitting. All interested parties call Ben Cherington.”
David Matoma from the FCL to Breakout Game? Ager from Draft to Breakout? Probably would have given Antwone Kelly and Jaden Woods the nod.