Pirates Prospects in AFL: Recapping First Two Weeks
It has been an up-and-down start for the Pittsburgh Pirates' prospects playing for the Scottsdale Scorpions in the Arizona Fall League.
Among the position players, No. 3 prospect Termarr Johnson has played well, while Sammy Siani's bat has shown up in a big way and is a more than promising sign given how he was previously viewed as more of a defensive prospect than one who can make an impact at the plate.
On the mound, each of the Pirates pitchers has seemingly had one bad outing but has righted the ship otherwise.
Through 11 games, the Scorpions have gone 4-7 and are currently on a three-game losing streak and one game away from being tied for last place. They return to the diamond on Tuesday to face the Salt River Rafters (6-5) at 9:30 p.m. ET.
Here's how the Pirates' nine players have fared through two weeks in the AFL.
Pitchers:
Brandan Bidois:
Bidois has made three appearances out of the bullpen and has bounced back since his first outing when he allowed six runs and got only one out. Since then, he's pitched 2.2 innings and has yet to allow a run. Bidois has an 18.00 ERA and has walked five batters while striking out six batters.
Khristian Curtis:
After a stellar first outing out of the bullpen in which he pitched three shutout innings and didn't allow a single runner to reach base to earn the win in the Scorpions' first game in the AFL, Curtis struggled to replicate his success the next time he stepped on the mound. Curtis allowed four runs over three innings pitched and suffered the loss.
Through his two appearances, Curtis is 1-1 with a 6.00 ERA and has allowed four runs over six innings pitched. He's also walked three batters, struck out four and has a 1.50 WHIP.
Curtis is the Pirates' No. 27 prospect in their farm system by MLB Pipeline.
Derek Diamond:
Diamond leads the Scorpions in innings pitched and is coming off his first start in the AFL. He pitched three innings, allowed one run and struck out four batters in a 4-2 loss to the Salt River Rafters.
Through three appearances, Diamond has yet to record a decision and has a 4.26 ERA over 6.1 innings. He's also struck out eight batters compared to allowing just one walk and has a 1.11 WHIP.
Valentin Linarez:
Linarez has made three appearances out of the bullpen and boasts a solid 2.70 ERA. His control remains a concern though, as he has more walks than strikeouts. Five of the six walks Linarez has allowed came in his last outing.
Linarez has yet to allow a hit over his 3.1 innings pitched and has allowed just one run.
Eddy Yean:
Yean is tied for the lead in appearances with four but has struggled of late. Yean allowed two runs in the Scorpions' 4-2 loss to the Rafters on Sunday. He also had an outing where he allowed three runs without getting an out.
Through his 3.1 innings pitched, Yean has a 13.50 ERA, one save and has struck out and walked three batters.
Position players:
Termarr Johnson:
Johnson has been an on-base machine for the Scorpions through seven games, Along with his eight hits, the Pirates middle infield prospect leads Scottsdale with nine walks, which is second in the AFL.
Johnson has also displayed an impressive ability to drive the ball, as four of his eight hits have been extra-base hits. The Pirates' No. 3 prospect in their farm system has also stolen two bases, both of which came on Sunday against the Rafters.
Johnson has hit one home run, driven in three runs and has a slash line of .308/.486/.615.
Kervin Pichardo:
Pichardo has played sparingly, only tallying 16 at-bats, which is tied for the fourth-fewest on the Scorpions. Of the Pirates infield prospect's four hits, two have been doubles and he's also hit a triple. He's also walked four times and has struck out three times.
Pichardo has two RBIs and is slashing .250/.400/.500.
Geovanny Planchart:
Planchart is in a similar position to Pichardo having limited playing time. He's only played in four games and has 13 at-bats, tying him for the third-fewest on Scottsdale.
Planchart has three hits, including a solo home run in his last game played. Planchart has struck out five times and has walked twice.
In his four games played, Planchart has slashed .231/.33/.538.
Sammy Siani:
One could argue Siani has been the most impressive of the bunch given his improvements at the plate. The Pirates outfield prospect is second on the team with a .440 batting average, tallying 11 hits in 25 at-bats. He's also scored seven runs and has stolen two bases.
Through six games, Siani is slashing .440/.481/.640 and has a home run and four RBIs.
