Pittsburgh Pirates: Minor League Roundup

By: Jack Merlino

The Pittsburgh Pirates have reached the postseason each of the past two years, losing in the divisional series and the wild-card game in 2013 and 2014, respectively. One of the biggest reasons for their success is a strong farm system, one that over recent seasons has produced contributing players such as Andrew McCutchen, Gerrit Cole, Neil Walker, Starling Marte, and Josh Harrison. The farm system is poised to continue producing quality major leaguers with numerous hot-topic names, Gregory Polanco being one. Here are the top three prospects, broken down by position. It should be noted that while performance is extremely important, age is also a factor. There’s no reason to list a 30-year old who played for AA Altoona and batted .300 with 20 home runs, because he’s almost certainly only seen as an organizational filler by the Pirates.

Starting Pitchers
• Tyler Glasnow, RHP
• Jameson Taillon, RHP
• Nick Kingham, RHP

Glasnow, the 2014 MLB Pitching Prospect of the year, tops the list of Pirates pitchers and arguably overall prospects. At High-A Bradenton he turned in a 1.74 ERA in 124 1/3 innings. With a power fastball that can reach the upper-90’s and routinely sits in the mid-90’s, Glasnow has the makings of a top starter. Naturally, as a young power pitcher, his issue is control. Inconsistencies with his curveball and changeup could slow his progression up the ladder, but both have a chance to be above-average offerings. With his success using the fastball though, it appears that his ceiling is at the very least a good late-inning bullpen piece. Also, the only reason he’s ranked above Jameson Taillon is because the older and more advanced Taillon missed all of 2014 after undergoing the dreaded Tommy John Surgery. Before the injury, he featured a mid-90’s fastball, a nasty curve, and a serviceable changeup. The Pirates hope he will soon join Gerrit Cole at the top of the Bucs’ rotation. Kingham has the ‘least impressive’ stuff out of all three, but could be the first to crack the big leagues. He projects as a Strong #3/Weak #2 starter, with a fastball that’s slightly faster than your typical “Command-and-Control” type hurler. With strong numbers after his promotion to AA and the way starters can go down with injury, it’s not unreasonable to expect a sighting during the 2015 season.

Relief Pitchers
• Andy Oliver, LHP
• Ryan Beckman, RHP
• Jhondaniel Medina, RHP

Andy Oliver is one of those cases where a simple switch changed the course of his career. After struggling mightily at AAA for three straight years, the Pirates put Oliver in Indianapolis’ bullpen. He then saw his ERA go to 2.53, a drop of 1.5 runs from the previous season. He throws a 96-mph heater from the left side, which is always valuable. His changeup keeps hitters honest, and his curveball is…well…the reason why he’s a reliever, and not a starter. At 26 years old, he still has a chance to be a contributor for the Bucs, if nothing else as a middle-reliever. While it’s a flawed stat, he twirled 15 saves, showing he also has some closing experience. Beckman has played the past two seasons at AA Altoona and produced sub-3 ERA’s both years, so it’s likely he’ll begin the season at AAA Indianapolis. Unlike Oliver, he has always been a reliever, having not started a game since ’09 in the Rookie Leagues. He throws a low-90’s fastball, but has a filthy curveball and changeup. All of this comes with an uncommon arm angle. As a 24 year old, if he can sustain most of the success that he’s had in the minors, he could be a valuable asset for a very long time. Medina is an enigma; he allowed four runs at the end of April, and then didn’t allow a single run in May. Or June. Or July. Or August. Seriously. His ERA at the end of the season? 0.72. Incredible, even though he only threw 50 innings. He, like Beckman, has been exclusively a reliever for a long time, so we could see him progress quickly.

Catchers
• Reese McGuire
• Tony Sanchez
• Jin-De Jhang

With McGuire, there’s no argument that his glove is superior. Although he posted a .330 batting line in his first taste of professional ball in the Rookie Leagues, his bat is a question. He has a sweet lefty swing and is projected to bulk up more, so the power potential is there. It’s the hit tool itself that’s an unknown. His glove grades as plus, with an absolute shotgun for an arm and a glove many years more mature than his age, he should provide premium defense for the Pirates in three or four years. Sanchez is more advanced, and will likely contribute to the team in 2015. While he’s the most advanced catching prospect in the system, he’s also destined for a backup job, unless he makes a miraculous turn on both offense and defense. He hit passably in his brief major league stint in 2014, but only hit .235 at AAA Indianapolis. His redeeming factor is his power, evident in the 21 home runs he’s blasted over the past two seasons. Aside from that, his caught stealing numbers are low, and his passed balls/errors are up. Additionally, Jin-De Jhang is intriguing. He hit well his first two seasons in professional ball, then imploded at High-A Bradenton to a .219 batting average. His defensive skills are there, and he was about a year and a half younger than league average, so there’s still time for him to figure it out. It should also be noted that he was playing in the pitcher-friendly Florida State League. With the amount of high-upside catchers in the system, there’s no rush for Jhang to suddenly figure everything out and hit .350.

First Basemen
• Andrew Lambo
• Stetson Allie
• Jose Osuna

Lambo, like Tony Sanchez, has seen some brief major-league action each of the past two seasons. One of his biggest assets is his versatility. While he played the greatest amount of games at first, he also spent time in left and right field. Injuries seem to be an issue for him, as he’s only played 120 games combined in 2013 and 2014. When he’s on the field, though, all he does is hit. With 2013 and 2014 respective batting averages of .272 and .328 and a combined 29 home runs, he’s poised to help the big-league club, if only as a bench contributor. At 25 years old, he’s still got prospect status. Stetson Allie might be the second coming of Ike Davis. Playing in AA against pitchers that on average are about 2 years older, he hit .246/.362/.440 with 21 home runs. Those are power-hitter stats. With 21 home runs each of the past two seasons, Steton could find himself on the major league club as early as this season. He’s the type of player whose deficiencies could be overlooked in a good lineup (not unlike the one the Pirates currently have). Osuna is a young kid whose hit well at every level, evident in his consistent .276 average across 4 levels. The power is still developing, but he could one day find himself manning first base for the Pirates, although a move to the outfield could be a possibility if the need is greater there.

Second Basemen
• Max Moroff
• Erich Weiss
• Gift Ngoepe

If there’s one position where Pittsburgh’s farm system is barren, it’s at second base. Arrange these three guys in any order you like. Moroff gets the nod at the top because he was able to hold his own in the Florida State League against pitchers who were on average a year and a half older. He’s got some plus speed, evident in his 21 stolen bases (although they were accompanied by an ugly 15 times caught stealing), and his fielding percentage was a solid .980. There’s some hope that he could be a utility man or bench player for the Pirates. Weiss had a good season in Single-A, but was old for the league. We could see him competing for playing time with Moroff on the High-A team next year. Gift Ngoepe makes the list because he’s got a sweet name and was the best of the organizational fillers at the lower levels. All of this shouldn’t be too worrisome, since the Bucs will be sending Neil Walker out for many years to come.

Shortstops
• Alen Hanson
• JaCoby Jones
• Cole Tucker

Almost as if it’s trying to distract you from the dearth of second base prospects, the Pirates’ system contains three above-average shortstops, all waiting one after the other in case the person in front of him fizzles out. Alen Hanson has been a fiend since he began playing professionally. With a lifetime average of .289 across five levels, a bat good for 15+ homers a year, and stolen base totals that haven’t dropped under 25 in three seasons, the time will come when he’s pushing Jordy Mercer for a starting gig at the major league level. Scouts question his defense, specifically his arm. This could lead to an eventual shift to second base. JaCoby Jones (not to be confused with Wide Receiver Jacoby Jones of the Baltimore Ravens) broke out last year, finishing second in the South Atlantic League with 23 home runs, and slashing .288/.347/.503. He’s a bit old for the league, but that’s because he was being forced to learn a new position. If he can’t stick at shortstop, the likely move would be to second base. Tucker, the Bucs’ first-round pick in the 2014 draft, is extremely projectable. Like many younger shortstops, his defense is ahead of his offense. He hit well in his first taste of pro ball in the Gulf Coast League for rookies, and if the bat comes around, he could be a fixture at the premium position for a very long time.

Third Basemen
• Wyatt Mathisen
• Eric Wood
• Jarek Cunningham

Mathisen tops the list as a potential breakout candidate. Originally a catcher, the hope is that becoming a third baseman full-time will help him offensively. That’s not to say he didn’t have a successful 2014 campaign; he batted .280/.344/.360 with 3 home runs in Single-A. Look for the power to increase as he adds muscle with age and moves on to more hitter-friendly leagues. Eric Wood is one level above Mathisen, in High-A ball, and is coming off a year in which he hit .271 with 3 homers in the Florida State League, another notorious pitchers’ league. Look for him to at least maintain his current level of offense at Double-A Altoona. Jarek Cunningham is still young, and he’s got some power, but if he can’t improve on his lifetime .295 on-base percentage at Double-A, he’s likely reached his ceiling. The .899 fielding percentage doesn’t help either.

Outfielders
• Gregory Polanco
• Austin Meadows
• Josh Bell
• Harold Ramirez

Polanco could become something special. He’s one of those rare ‘five-tool’ players who could actually pan out into a star (I’m a Philly fan, I’ve seen about 30 of these guys fizzle out in Double-A). Could you imagine an outfield with McCutchen, Polanco, and Josh Harrison? I almost feel sorry for Starling Marte. With those guys alone, it’ll almost be a disappointment if we don’t hear the word “dynasty” one day. Meadows and Bell are interchangeable on this list. Both guys are producing very well at the lower and middle levels. Bell got a brief call-up to Double-A at the end of the year and hit .287/.343/.309 against guys who averaged close to 4 years his senior. Meadows dominated Low-A last year with a .529 batting average in 22 at-bats, so the Pirates just decided to throw him in Single-A and see how he did. He ‘only’ hit .322. Harold Ramirez, who presumably is just trying to remain relevant in this slew of outfield prospects, hit .309/.364/.402 playing alongside Meadows. Another plus he’s got is his speed, evident in his 12 stolen bases. All three guys are drawing favorable projections and comparisons. I’ve heard Chili Davis for Bell, Jim Edmonds for Meadows, and Carl Crawford for Ramirez (being their absolute ceilings, that is). None of those names should be scoffed at. Don’t be surprised if you only see one or even none of these guys on the Pirates roster. Not because they’re going to flop (although it’s always a possibility), but because they have so much outfield talent already towards the top. One or more of these four (likely not Polanco) could be packaged somewhere for major-league talent (Cliff Lee, anyone? Please?)