Pirates Promote Pitching Prospect to Indianapolis
PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Pirates saw great development from one of their top pitching prospects, as they promoted him within their minor league system.
The Pirates announced the promotion of right-handed pitcher Thomas Harrington from Double-A Altoona Curve to Triple-A Indianapolis Indians.
Keep 'em coming. 🔥
— Indianapolis Indians (@indyindians) August 4, 2024
Welcome to Triple-A, Thomas Harrington! pic.twitter.com/2oIvJ9Ho6p
Harrington starred for Southern Lee High School in Sanford, N.C., with a 4-0 record, 0.32 ERA and 54 strikeouts over 43.2 innings worked in his junior season in 2019.
He would commit to Campbell as a walk-on, not playing his senior season as COVID-19 pandemic cancelled it.
Harrington starred in 2021 as a freshman, starting 14 of 16 he pitched in, a 6-3 record, a 3.45 ERA in 75.2 innings pitched and 75 strikeouts to 28 walks. He earned Big South Freshman of the Year, Second Team All-Big South and Freshman All-American honors from CBN, Baseball America and D1Baseball.
He improved in his sophomore season, going 12-2 in 15 starts, a 2.53 ERA in 92.2 innings pitched, 111 strikeout to 18 walks and held opposing hitters to a .204 batting average.
Harrington earned First Team All-American honors from D1Baseball and ABCA, Second Team All-American honors from NCBWA and Collegiate Baseball News and Third Team All-American honors from Baseball America, He was also the Big South Pitcher of the Year and made the First Team All-Big South.
The Pirates would select Harrington with the No. 36 overall pick in Round 1, as a competitive balance pick, earning a $2,050,000 million signing bonus.
Harrington started out 2023 with the Bradenton Marauders of the Florida State League at Single-A, where he had a 4-1 record in eight starts, 2.77 ERA in 39.0 innings, 40 strikeouts to 12 walks and held opposing hitters to a .230 batting average.
He earned a promotion to the Greensboro Grasshoppers of High Single-A in June 2023, where he spent the rest of the season. He had a 3-5 record in 18 starts, a 3.87 ERA in 88.1 innings pitched, 106 strikeouts to 29 walks and holding opposing hitters to a .255 batting average.
Harrington started 12 of 13 games this season for Altoona, with a 2-2 record, 2.24 ERA in 68.1 innings pitched, 74 strikeouts to 10 walks and an opposing batting average of .227.
He is one of two Curve pitchers to earn a promotion to Indianapolis this past week, joining right-handed pitcher Bubba Chandler.
Harrington is the No. 6 prospect on the Pirates and No. 3 right-handed pitcher, according to MLB Pipeline.
DOMINIC CAMPBELL