Position: RHP
Height: 6’3”
Weight: 210 lbs
Bats/Throws: R/R
Born: 09/15/2000
High School: Cary-Grove (IL) HS
How Acquired: Draft 1st round, 18th Overall, 2019
Bonus: $3,400,000
40-man Roster: Yes
Rule 5 Eligible: N/A
Minor League Free Agency: N/A
Options Left: 2
Overview
Priester was the first Illinois prep pitcher taken in the first round since 2010. He ranked 19th among draft prospects at MLB Pipeline and 23rd at Baseball America. He features a smooth delivery from a three-quarters angle. When drafted, his fastball regularly got into the mid-90s. He drew a lot of attention during the pandemic when reports from the Pirates alternate site had him throwing in the upper-90s. That was in short stints, though, and he mostly throws 92-94 mph now. The main concern that scouts have is with the shape of his fastball, which they consider too hittable. His low-90s two-seamer may be a better pitch as it has a lot of movement. His curve was considered outstanding, his change less so. He’s since added a slider and/or a cutter; depending on which pitch tracker you check, he throws a slider and curve or a slider and cutter, or maybe all three. Priester is an excellent athlete who was also a football star. He had a commitment to Texas Christian, but he signed a week after the draft. His bonus was $81,300 below the slot amount.
2019-21
Priester had a good debut in the GCL in 2019, showing an ability to get swings and misses. He also made a start at the end of the season for West Virginia. One issue he did have was left-handed hitters; they had a .909 OPS against him, while right-handed hitters managed just .462. That may show a need to work on a change. The Pirates brought Priester to their alternate training site near the end of the pandemic season, which is a sign of how highly they regard him. He was also in fall instructionals and was reaching the upper-90s with his fastball, albeit in short stints.
In 2021, Priester made 20 starts for Greensboro and improved over the course of the season. Early on, he wasn’t missing a lot of bats and had some trouble with walks. Around mid-season he picked things up and had a number of dominant outings, including his playoff start, which came against a very heavy-hitting team. The Greensboro ballpark caused Priester some problems: He allowed six home runs and a .718 OPS at home, two and .544 on the road. He had no real platoon split. He was named the league’s top pitcher.
2022-23
An oblique injury put Priester on the injured list at the start of the 2022 season. After a couple of rehab outings, he joined Altoona in late June and was still able to work 90 innings on the season, which is a plus. He made a strong showing there, more so than the final numbers suggest. Like Mike Burrows, Priester had a meltdown in his final start in AA before moving up to Indianapolis; he gave up seven earned runs in three and two-thirds innings. Going into that game, his ERA in AA was 2.15 and it finished at 2.87. His K/9 was 9.0. Priester started two games in AAA, throwing five shutout innings in one and struggling in the other.
Priester opened 2023 in Indianapolis and eventually reached the majors. He was erratic in AAA, but simply bad in the majors. With Indy, he had a 7.78 ERA in April, then he had a 3.01 ERA over his next 13 starts, leading to his callup. In the majors, in ten starts and bulk relief appearances, he allowed two earned runs once, three once, and four or more the other eight times. Opponents pummeled him for a 290/378/555 line. He had a 4.9 BB/9 and 6.5 K/9. One mystery involved his velocity, which often averaged around 92, although other times he sat in the mid-90s. He had significant gopher ball problems as over a quarter of the fly balls hit off him in the majors left the park. In fact, his xFIP, which normalizes HR rate, was 5.10, compared to his ERA of 7.74.
Stats
Transactions
June 3, 2019: Drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1st round, 18th overall pick; signed on June 10.
July 17, 2023: Contract purchased by the Pittsburgh Pirates.