Pirates Surprising Minor League Player of Year Revealed
For as much as the Pittsburgh Pirates have struggled to develop hitters in their minor league system, the same can't be said about their pitchers.
Bleacher Report named the Minor League Player of the Year for every team, and for the Pirates, they chose 6-foot-4 right-hander Carlson Reed over top prospect Bubba Chandler. Reed is ranked as the Pirates' No. 30 overall prospect by MLB Pipeline and is projected to reach the big leagues in 2026.
"Right-hander Bubba Chandler had a fantastic 2024 season, and he will likely open 2025 as one of the top pitching prospects in baseball, but it was Reed who had the best statistical season in the Pirates system," Bleacher Report writes. "The 6'4", 200-pound right-hander pitched to a 1.99 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 130 strikeouts in 108.2 innings at Single-A and High-A, erasing some concerns about his potential reliever risk."
Reed, who was a fourth-round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft from West Virginia University, impressed across his 17 starts at Single-A Bradenton and High-A Greensboro, going 6-3 with a 1.99 ERA. He also averaged 10.8 strikeouts and 5.5 hits allowed per nine innings. His walk rate raises some concern, though, as he averaged 4.2 walks per nine innings.
Reed's ability to improve his control could determine his ceiling as a starting pitcher. If he can gain more command and work better inside the strike zone, he could be among the surplus of options Pittsburgh will have to put in its starting rotation. And even if his control doesn't quite reach the level the Pirates desire for a starting pitcher, his stuff would play well out of the bullpen if he continues on this trajectory.
Regardless, the Pirates have shown a knack for being able to develop starting pitchers, and Reed could be further proof of that if he continues to succeed as he ascends the minor league ranks.
