Pirates Farm System in Pretty Rough Spot
PITTSBURGH -- Similar to the major league team, the Pittsburgh Pirates' farm system is on a downward trajectory in the eyes of MLB Pipeline.
The site released its annual midseason rankings last week and they were far from bullish on the Pirates' future, who ranked as the No. 20 minor league system after coming in at No. 9 before the start of the regular season in March.
Granted, the primary reasoning behind that steep fall is rather justifiable. Right-handed pitcher Paul Skenes, who has lit the baseball world on fire from the time he first stepped on a big-league mound in May, graduated from prospect eligibility earlier this year. Considering he began the season as Pipeline's No. 3 prospect less than eight months after going first overall in the 2023 MLB Draft, his absence greatly harmed Pittsburgh's placement on the list.
Skenes' rotation compadre (and future co-ace?) Jared Jones is also no longer considered a prospect after landing at No. 62 in Pipeline's preseason ranking. Right-handed pitcher Kyle Nicolas outgrew that label as well after being named the No. 22 prospect in Pittsburgh's organization at the onset of the year. The 25-year-old reliever has emerged as a key bullpen piece with a 2.84 ERA across 40 appearances in 2024.
Second baseman Termarr Johnson, on the other hand, opened the season as the outlet's overall No. 44 farmhand and now sits at No. 83 while right-handed pitcher Bubba Chandler improved from No. 93 to No. 41.
Left-handed pitcher Anthony Solometo was pinned as the No. 82 prospect and No. 4 in the Pirates' system entering the year, yet he is nowhere to be found on Pipeline's Top 100 this time around as he owns a 5.58 ERA through 18 minor league appearances this season.
New entries on the list include shortstop/outfielder Konnor Griffin at No. 55, whom Pittsburgh selected with the No. 9 pick in July's draft, as well as right-handed pitcher Braxton Ashcraft at No. 95.
Pipeline rationalized its decision to drop the Pirates in its organizational rankings by referencing the "loss" of Skenes and Jones in addition to a lack of development from their position players, though they also offered some optimism regarding the team's boatloads of pitching talent yet to debut in the majors.
"Losing the best pitching prospect anyone has seen in years to graduation means your ranking is going to take a hit," they wrote. "Then you add in former fellow Top 100 arm Jared Jones becoming a big leaguer too, and that’s a double whammy. The good news is that Chandler has taken up the challenge of being the best pitching prospect in the organization and Ashcraft has taken a big step forward along with non-Top 100 arms like Thomas Harrington and Hunter Barco. The hitters in the system have not progressed with the same consistency, but it was exciting to see the Pirates inject it with exciting young bats from this year’s Draft in Griffin and Wyatt Sanford, not to mention a high-upside arm like Levi Sterling."
The Pirates' system had landed within the top-10 in each iteration of Pipeline's list from the 2021 preseason through the beginning of 2024, rating as high as No. 2 ('23 midseason) during that time frame.
JACK MARKOWSKI