Pirates Prospect Named International Pitcher of the Week
PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Pirates continue to see great performance from their pitching prospects, including one who recently received recognition for their work.
Right-handed pitcher Thomas Harrington of the Indianapolis Indians at Triple-A earned International League pitcher of the Week honors for his performance in the 3-0 victory against the St. Paul Saints on Aug. 17.
Thomas shoved Saturday. 🔥
— Indianapolis Indians (@indyindians) August 19, 2024
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He pitched 7.0 innings, with his first five perfect, allowing just two singles, no runs, no walks and striking out two batters.
The Pirates called Harrington up from the Altoona Curve in Double-A on Aug. 4. He has started three games at Triple-A in Indianapolis, a 1-1 record, 3.63 ERA in 17.1 innings pitched, 11 strikeouts to three walks and holding hitters to a .194 batting average.
Harrington started 12 of 13 games this season for Altoona this season, 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 prior to his call up.
MLB Pipeline ranks Harrington as the No. 5 prospect in the Pirates minor league system, and the No. 3 right-handed pitcher, behind Bubba Chandler at No. 1 and Braxton Ashcraft at No. 4, with all three pitchers at Triple-A.
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.Â
He would commit to Campbell as a walk-on, not playing his senior high school 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.Â
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.Â
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.
