Scouting the Pirates system 2024: Best breaking ball

Looking at the best breaking pitches in the Pirates system

Nov 02, 2024

The ‘Best Tools’ series is a look throughout the Pittsburgh Pirates organization at who has the best tools in the system.

While it’s fun to blow a fastball by a hitter, sometimes it’s even better to completely fool them with a great slider or curveball. When utilized properly, a good breaking ball can leave a hitter lost in the batter’s box, sometimes swinging at a pitch not even close to the strike zone.

Here’s a look at some of the best breaking pitches in the Pirates system:

Carlson Reed, Slider

With a whiff rate of 55.6%, Carlson Reed had one of the highest-rated sliders in the Florida State League this past season. Funny enough, it’s not even his favorite pitch that he throws, but regardless it’s easily one of the better breaking pitches in the system.

He struggled to throw it in the zone at times in Bradenton, but that didn’t keep hitters from swinging, as they still chased 33% of the time.

Thomas Harrington, Slider/Sweeper

It graded out as a 104 on TJStats, even though it didn’t get a lot of whiffs (15.5%). Thomas Harrington attacked hitters in the zone with the pitch (56% zone rate), and they finished with a .150 average against it.

The slider plays well off the fastball and change-up, all three of which are at least above-average pitches at their best.

Michael Kennedy, Sweeper

With a fastball that averaged just 89 mph last year, Michael Kennedy worked backward a lot, leading with a sweeper that he threw in the strike zone 52.2% of the time while with Bradenton but still got a whiff rate of 41.9%.

It’s a pitch he can manipulate depending on the situation, whether getting some added sweep or even extra vertical break.

Ryan Harbin, Slider

His fastball has reached triple-digits, but it’s the slider that is Ryan Harbin’s go-to pitch. From the little bit of data we got while he was on rehab with Bradenton, it got a 116 grade on the TJStats Stuff+ metric and a 55.6 whiff rate. He also threw it in the zone 76% of the time.

There’s a strong argument that this is the best slider in the entire system.

Mike Burrows, Slider

It’s crazy to think that this was a new pitch that Mike Burrows added before he got hurt, but it has quickly emerged as one of his better pitches. For years he was known for his fastball/curveball combination, but his arsenal has quickly evolved into a four-pitch mix.

You can even make a case that his two newer pitches, slider and change-up, have surpassed the other two.

NolaJeffy: Braxton Ashcraft

With the hope he can stay healthy, Braxton Ashcraft has not only one but two above-average breaking balls. His slider generated a 44.0% whiff rate, and 35.3% for his curve. The fastball didn’t see the same success in Triple-A as it did in Double-A, and I wonder if his late-season injury issues played a part, but the breaking pitches easily translated.

WTM picked Ashcraft’s slider as the best breaking pitch.

Others to watch

Jaden Woods pitched out of the bullpen for Greensboro and Altoona this past year, and while the numbers weren’t always there, the stuff certainly is. He can manipulate the slider a little bit, but it’s a tough pitch to hit for lefties.

It shows up as a slider on statcast, but Khristian Curtis told me it was a ‘harder curve’ (death ball) when I talked to him in Bradenton. Whatever it is, it had a whiff rate right at 50% this past season (47.9%).

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