The Week in Bradenton: Late-Round Hitters and Bat-Oriented Catchers
Maybe a rookie-level lefty to follow.
In the 2024 draft, the Pirates tried something a bit different for them. On day three, they took three college hitters with power potential. It seemed like a good idea at the time. Picks like that are strictly long shots, but with hitting throughout the organization severely lacking, it was arguably worth it.
The 17th-round pick, outfielder Andrew Patrick, was the last of the three but got the biggest bonus. He got some playing time late last season with Bradenton and put up just a .537 OPS with a 35% K rate. This year, he opened the season with the Marauders and went 1-for-24 with a dozen strikeouts. The Pirates moved him down to the FCL, and he didn’t play for a while. He’s gotten into a few games lately and gone 0-for-10 with eight strikeouts. In 76 pro at-bats, Patrick has two extra-base hits, both doubles.
Ethan Lege, drafted two rounds before Patrick, is a corner infielder. He got into 15 games with Bradenton late last year and has been with them this year, except for 18 days on the IL. Between the two stints with the Marauders, Lege is batting .212/.271/.231 (all stats here are through June 16). He has a 4.1% walk rate and a 24.1% K rate. In 156 at-bats, he has three extra-base hits, all doubles.
Outfielder Ian Farrow was a 14th-round pick. He didn’t play in 2024. He was in spring training this year, but wasn’t activated until mid-May, apparently due to some injury. He played in nine games for the FCL Pirates, batting .172/.333/.310, then moved up to Bradenton. He’s played six games there, held back a bit recently by a bunch of rehab guys. He’s gone 2-for-17, but at least both hits left the park, and he’s had some good EVs. (UPDATE: As of Tuesday’s game, Farrow is 4-for-19 with three HRs.) In his limited playing time so far, he has a 14.5% walk rate and 32.7% K rate.
So this particular strategy, or whatever you want to call it, could be going better, although maybe Farrow will continue to show some power as he gets more playing time. On the other hand, 9th rounder Duce Gourson is doing well for Greensboro since he got back from an injury. He’s batting .265/.379/.453 with good plate discipline, so there’s that.
The pitching could be going better, too. The top pitching prospects coming into the season were reliever David Matoma and starters Zander Mueth and Carlos Castillo. Matoma went on the 7-day IL a few days ago. Mueth got hurt in his second start, but he made a rehab start in the FCL on June 12. Castillo has increasingly struggled. In his last two starts, covering 7.2 IP, he’s allowed seven earned runs.
One brief, positive note came from Matt Ager, last year’s 6th-round pick. He’s had struggles of every type, getting hit hard and walking more than he’s struck out. In his start on June 11, though, he allowed just three hits, a walk, and one run over four innings.
The team’s best starter has been Victor Cabreja, a soft-tossing lefty who’s been pressed into starting duty because somebody has to do it. He’s currently sporting a 3.38 ERA and a 5-0 record. (The team’s top four starters have a total of two wins.) Cabreja misses very few bats, though, and it’s hard to say how his stuff will fare at higher levels.
In the FCL, the Pirates’ offense hasn’t exactly benefited from the promotion of Wyatt Sanford. To replace him, the team promoted Michell Ojeda from the DSL, where he had a good season in his pro debut last year. He’s had a rough start, 2-for-25 so far with four walks and eight strikeouts. I actually like his swing, so hopefully he’ll come around. It’s probably not easy starting your season at a new level with their season already well underway.
For now, the FCL Bucs still have Edward Adonis Florentino. He’s been on the same sort of upward track as Konnor Griffin. In nine June games, Florentino’s batting .484/.514/.935, bringing his season numbers to .349/.430/.663.
Recently, the team’s other most productive hitters have been catchers (well, C/1B/DH) Richard Ramirez and Jonathan Rivero. Following a 2-for-24 start, Ramirez has his line up to .277/.355/.436. What may be keeping him in the FCL is the fact that he’s still chasing breaking and offspeed stuff out of the zone, leaving his K rate hovering over 30%.
Rivero was the Pirates’ top international signing in 2023, as an offense-oriented backstop. He struggled badly in the DSL that year, then hit better, but with no power, in 2024. He apparently wasn’t totally healthy the second year as he didn’t play in the field. The bat is looking more like what the Pirates thought they were getting, as he’s currently at .241/.357/.379. His defense seems solid in the 11 games he’s caught. He has one passed ball and is throwing out 24% of base stealers, exactly league average.
Another player who shouldn’t be ignored is Kendrick Herrera. He’s one of several lower-level infielders with the ability to stay at short. I saw a lot of Herrera in spring training, and he mostly seemed befuddled by the pitching he was seeing. He’s steadily looked more confident during the season and is hitting .253/.364/.286. The big deficiency, obviously, is power. He’s not a slap hitter, though. I’ve seen him make a lot of hard contact, but he probably needs to get stronger, to drive the ball better.
Finally, the FCL Bucs may have a pitcher emerging in lefty Ronaldys Jimenez. He’s yet another pitcher at the level who’s featured impressive stuff but little control. Since a control meltdown back on May 27, though, he’s walked just three in 8.1 IP. He’s also struck out 17 in that time. His last time out, which was last Friday, he allowed just a hit and no walks, while striking out six in two and a third innings. Jimenez has been pitching in relief so far, but a possible next step might be to have him start and try to go 3-4 innings.
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I think it’s pronounced ‘strategery’
Edward Florentino - why is he still at the FCL Level? Yes, they have 4 or 5 OF guys at A like Siani, Bowen, Bae, etc. on Rehab, but, other than the "rehabbers", which OF could we name as being a better option than Florentino? I tend to like LH hitters who are 6'4" 200 and have over a 1.100 OPS! First trip off the Island and he is acting like this is easy. Only 18, but ignore the age and play the kids who have shown the ability to hit, and he has definitely shown the ability!