Minor league hitters deliver
Some top prospects put on season-long offensive displays
The Pirates full-season minor league affiliates finished with a combined record of 264-220 this season, the best among all National League systems.
Does that matter? Maybe. An organization would prefer that their minor league teams win games, although that record certainly comes secondary to actual development of players. All that really matters is how much the prospects can eventually help the major league roster. For the Pirates, that remains to be seen. They got a taste of some of their top prospects this year, but more proof will be needed to get a sure handle on how they will adjust in the majors.
That’s for the future, though. For now, all we can do is look at what happened this season on the field. Here is a break down of the Pirates minor league hitters:
Class AAA Indianapolis
Indianapolis didn’t serve as a launching pad for the Pirates top-ranked prospects this season. Most of them were in the lower levels, and Indianapolis was more of an amalgamation of fringe MLB players with a few upand-comers sprinkled in. So players such as Anthony Alford and Will Craig had team leads in some offensive categories. Alford finished the season in the majors, while Craig was eventually released and signed with the Kiwoom Heroes in Korea.
The highest-ranked prospect entering the season on Indianapolis was outfielder Travis Swaggerty. He went down with a shoulder injury in the first month of the season and needed season-ending surgery.
The Pirates did get an influx of highly regarded talent later in the year. Infielder Tucupita Marcano, their No. 9 prospect as ranked by MLB Pipeline, joined the organization at the trade deadline. The 21year-old struggled, hitting .230 with a .604 OPS. Just five of his 42 hits were for extra bases. Marcano is still young, and his glove is thought to be his best tool, but the Pirates will hope for substantially more production in years to come.
Indianapolis did have a cohort of unsung producers. Catcher Christian Bethancourt, outfielder Bligh Madris and infielder Diego Castillo, also acquired at the trade deadline, were quite good. Bethancourt spent his entire season in Indianapolis, and slashed .281/.339/.468 over 92 games. He tied for second on the team with 14 homers and was named team MVP after the season.
Madris was called up from Class AA Altoona in mid-May and played in 104 games with Indy, which was surprising at the time given that Madris had struggled in his first 10 games with Altoona. Still, it proved a smart move, as the 25-year-old hit .272 with a .786 OPS. Castillo played in just 18 games with Indianapolis, but the 23year-old impressed, hitting 3 homers and 3 doubles with a .914 OPS. He produced consistently across all levels this season, hitting .278 with 19 homers 104 minor league games this season.
Fabricio Macias, a 23year-old outfielder, deserves a mention, too. He rose up from high Class A Greensboro in July and struggled a bit, hitting .245 with an OPS just over .600, but the upward movement was welcome.
Class AA Altoona
The talent in Altoona this year made it a high-profile team. Eight of the top 30 Pirates prospects were position players for the Curve. First baseman Mason Martin, the No. 17 prospect, led the team in homers and RBIs. Outfielder Cal Mitchell, the No. 18 prospect, led the way in hits. Cruz, the No. 4 prospect, finished first in OPS and slugging percentage. Outfielder Canaan Smith-Njigba, the No. 27 prospect, had the best onbase percentage.
That doesn’t even mention infielder Rodolfo Castro, who burst onto the scene with 12 homers in 72 games and made his MLB debut in April and saw action with the big club in July and August.
Second baseman Ji-Hwan Bae also went .278/.359/.413, stole a team-high 20 bases and tied for the team lead in triples with five.
The list goes on, to the point that at the end of the season, when Altoona’s season ended and Indianapolis’ continued, the Pirates saw it fit to promote Martin, Cruz, Mitchell, Smith-Njigba and Castro to Class AAA.
There were some negatives. Martin, in particular, hit for plenty of power, especially during some hot streaks in the middle of the year, but he also struck out in 34.3% of his plate appearances. That is an astounding number.
Castro’s numbers plummeted after returning to the minors. In July, August and September combined, Castro hit just .176 and struck out in 27.8% of his plate appearances.
That is to say that not everything was peachy, and the hype surrounding the team in Altoona probably hid potential issues. Still, the larger status of the group remains positive. They represent the next wave of talent that could help the Pirates.
Class A Greensboro
Greensboro plays in a stadium where hitters thrive. Just look at a few stat lines, and you’ll see that.
Second baseman Nick Gonzales struggled a bit to start the season but went nuts in August and finished slashing .302/.385/.565, good for a freakish .950 OPS. First baseman Aaron Shackleford hit just .210 but mashed 22 homers. Outfielder Matt Fraizer played just 75 games with Greensboro and still hit 20 home runs himself with a .979 OPS.
Down the line, it’s impressive. Even shortstop Liover Peguero, who also struggled to find consistent footing throughout much of the season, ended up with a .270 average and 14 homers.
Greensboro was highlighted by some of the Pirates top prospects in Gonzales and Peguero and some breakout stars. Frazier was one of them and catapulted himself into the Pipeline top 30 and a promotion to Altoona, where he continued to rake. Third baseman Jared Triolo was another upstart, who hit .304 with 15 homers.
The bottom line here is that there is a lot of talent at Greensboro, and many players who impressed. At the same time, the fact that almost everyone who played in that ballpark hit well is a warning sign. As this group continues to progress to Altoona and beyond, the numbers will speak.
Catcher Henry Davis, the No. 1 pick in the 2021 MLB draft, appeared in Greensboro, too, hitting two homers and a triple in six games before going down with a season-ending oblique injury.
Class A Bradenton
The highlight here is catcher Endy Rodriguez. Acquired in the Joe Musgrove trade last offseason, Rodriguez led his team in doubles, triples, homers, RBIs, average, on- base percentage, slugging percentage and OPS. He was named the most valuable player and catcher of the year in the Southeast League, joined by Jonathan Johnston, who won manager of the year.
For the rest, you have to squint a bit. It isn’t like Bradenton players had bad seasons, necessarily, but there isn’t eye-popping production all over the offense like there was in Altoona and Greensboro.
No. 12 prospect Hudson Head, also acquired in the Musgrove deal, hit just .213 and struck out in 31.6% of his plate appearances. No. 20 prospect Maikol Escotto hit .234 and struck out in 30.4% of his plate appearances.
Both had flashes with lengthy on-base streaks and reasons for encouragement, but those numbers will need to improve.
Catcher Eli Wilson hit over .300 and progressed through the system quickly, going to Greensboro and then Indianapolis before the end of the season. Fifth-round draft pick Jackson Glenn also mashed after a late-season promotion, hitting .337 with a .954 OPS in 28 games.
Another catcher, Abraham Gutierrez, who came over to the Pirates at the trade deadline, also had an OPS over .900 and showed some promise. Altogether, it was fits and starts of production from some, but more time is certainly needed. That probably makes sense for a group in low Class A, who all need time before a full picture is known.