Even as opening day dawns on the Pirates’ 132nd season, there is reason — as in every season — to keep one eye on the minor league system for players who likely will be coming to PNC Park over the rest of the decade. Post-Gazette Pirates writer Bill Brink looks at the top 10.
The Pirates have two talented players atop their minor league system, but nobody poised to make an immediate impact this year.
Mitch Keller, 21, is among the best pitching prospects in baseball, but this right-hander has started only six regular-season games above Class A. This might have been the year for Austin Meadows, especially after the Andrew McCutchen trade, but the acquisition of Corey Dickerson put that notion on hold.
“I’m not trying to get too far ahead,” Keller said. “But it’s close. Just talking with people, I’m right there, so I just gotta hone in my craft and just get everything a little bit better than it already is and be more consistent.”
Baseball America ranked Keller as the best prospect in the Pirates system. Back trouble limited him to 15 starts at Class A Bradenton last year, but he had a 3.14 ERA and 0.99 WHIP. In six starts with Class AA Altoona, he struck out 45 in 34⅔ innings and dominated in the Eastern League playoffs.
“I kind of know the way and know how it’s done,” said Keller, a second-round pick out of an Iowa high school in 2014. “I just got to wait my turn, so it’s not tough for me to be patient at all.”
Meadows, 22, missed time last year because of hamstring and oblique injuries. It was the second season in a row that happened. He proved in the first half of 2016 that he can hit when healthy. With Dickerson in left, Starling Marte in center and Gregory Polanco in right, even health won’t be enough. The Pirates generally don’t want top prospects to reach the majors only to ride the bench.
“Obviously, there’s a competition there, and everyone sees that, but competing with [Dickerson], practicing, picking his brain and learning from him, I think [I’m] picking up on things that I can,” said Meadows, the No. 2 prospect in the system, in spring training. “I know that if I stay healthy, good things will happen.”
In Kevin Newman and Cole Tucker, the Pirates have strong candidates to replace Jordy Mercer, who reaches free agency after this season. Newman played 40 games at Class AAA Indianapolis last season and hit .283, but with a .314 on-base percentage and .373 slugging percentage.
“We have a lot of talent,” Newman, 24, said. “We all kind of push each other. We’re all really good friends and we all want to succeed, however that may be down the line, whoever’s playing where.”
Tucker, 21, offers more power as a switch-hitter, but he just reached Altoona last year. In 110 games between Bradenton and Altoona, he hit .275/.358/.408 with 6 home runs, 19 doubles and 11 triples. The speed that led to the triples also helped him steal 47 bases. He continued to hone that skill this spring, working with first-base coach Kimera Bartee and Omar Moreno before batting practice on his footwork at first base.
“There’s a big emphasis on paying attention to pitchers,” Tucker said. “They’ll tell you a lot about what you can do and what you can’t do over there, whether it’s their time to home or their move or they’re giving something away.”
Three young pitchers, Shane Baz, Luis Escobar and Taylor Hearn, made the top 10 this season. The Pirates drafted Baz 12th overall out of a Texas high school last year and he made 10 starts for the rookie-level Gulf Coast League Pirates. Escobar, 21, held opposing teams to 6.6 hits per nine innings at Class A West Virginia and struck out 168 in 131⅔ innings. Hearn, a 23-year-old lefty, followed a strong Pirates organizational debut with West Virginia in 2016 with 87⅓ innings in Bradenton, during which he struck out 10.9 batters per nine with a 4.12 ERA.
The Top 10: In The Minors
The Pirates put two players inside Baseball America’s top 100 prospect rankings for 2018. Their top 10, according to Baseball America:
1. Mitch Keller • RHP • 21 • B/T: R/R • Ht/Wt: 6-3, 195
One of the best pitching prospects in baseball.
2. Austin Meadows • OF • 22 • B/T: L/L • Ht/Wt: 6-3, 210
Dickerson acquisition blocked immediate path to majors.
3. Shane Baz • RHP • 18 • B/T: R/R • Ht/Wt: 6-3, 190
Pirates took him 12th overall in 2017 draft.
4. Ke’Bryan Hayes • 3B • 21 • B/T: R/R • Ht/Wt : 6-1, 210
Above-average defender should start in Class AA.
5. Kevin Newman • SS • 24 • B/T: R/R • Ht/Wt: 6-1, 180
Could replace Jordy Mercer, who reaches free agency after this season.
6. Cole Tucker • SS • 21 • B/T: S/R • Ht/Wt: 6-3, 200
Stole 47 bases last season.
7. Luis Escobar • RHP • 21 • B/T: R/R • Ht/Wt: 6-2, 210
Had 11.5 K/9 at Class A West Virginia.
8. Nick Kingham • RHP • 26 • B/T: R/R • Ht/Wt: 6-5, 225
Could be first Class AAA starter called up for spot start.
9. Taylor Hearn • LHP • 23 • B/T: L/L • Ht/Wt: 6-5, 210
Struck out 106 in 87⅓ innings at Class A.
10. LoLo Sanchez • OF • 18 • B/T: R/R • Ht/Wt: 6-0, 150
Had a .776 OPS with GCL Pirates in first season stateside.
First Published: March 29, 2018, 2:40 p.m.
