ALTOONA — It wasn’t until after Henry Davis made his MLB debut that he responded to Anthony Solometo’s pregame text.
The fireballing 6-foot-5 left-hander with a quirky delivery wanted to wish his former roommate in Davis well, to which the No. 1 pick in the 2021 MLB draft told Solometo to come join him in the big leagues. Solometo, whom the Pirates took No. 37 overall in 2021, was promoted to Double-A Altoona from High-A Greensboro last Saturday and is using Davis’ quick ascension through the minors as motivation to continue with his own.
“I understand, way different timetables, but seeing somebody from my draft class be up there, and seeing guys I know like Carmen [Mlodzinski] get up there, it makes everything feel realer,” Solometo told the Post-Gazette. “I know I don’t have control of when I move and all that through the upper levels, but it makes it feel like, ‘Just keep my head down and I’m almost there.’
“It’s inspiring for me.”
Given the way Solometo — the Pirates’ No. 9 overall prospect, per MLB Pipeline — has pitched 26 games into his professional career, it wouldn’t be wholly surprising for him to jump another level before the season’s end. In 12 starts for the Grasshoppers, Solometo produced a 2.30 ERA and didn’t allow an earned run in any of his last four outings that spanned 22 innings. Not to mention he also had a 2.64 ERA for Low-A Bradenton last season.
But after a troublesome May 12 start in which he walked six and only got through 4 ⅔ innings, this time it was Solometo who heard from Davis, still with Altoona at the time. Davis delivered a clear message: Put together five straight starts with two or fewer walks, and he’d be with the Curve.
After accomplishing both feats, Solometo is now fresh off his Double-A debut, one in which he pitched in front of family members and friends against the Somerset Patriots, whose home ballpark is located roughly an hour north of his Voorhees, N.J., home.
Facing a lineup that featured Harrison Bader on a rehab assignment and the Yankees’ No. 1 prospect in Jasson Dominguez (among other heralded farmhands), Solometo relished the opportunity to prove his mettle against some top talent. Solometo let up two earned runs and struck out seven in five innings but looked back on the outing as memorable for reasons beyond the box score.
“When I saw the lineup and I saw Bader was in it, I was just more excited and I was like, ‘All right, now I can show what I can do against a big-leaguer,’” Solometo said. “Dominguez, all those guys being top prospects —striking out Dominguez three times was nice and Bader’s strikeout was nice. It felt good. It was a good confidence boost. Now it’s about going out there and dominating every outing, trying to go back to what I was doing in Greensboro.”
Per general manager Ben Cherington, the performances Solometo turned in at the end of his Grasshoppers tenure prompted his call-up, plus the maturity he’s demonstrated since signing with the team nearly two years ago. Manager Callix Crabbe, who recently witnessed a pair of pitching prospects depart for Triple-A Indianapolis in Jared Jones and Kyle Nicolas, understands much is expected out of the 20-year-old Solometo, too.
“I think the fact that he's already here in such a short amount of time tells you all you need to know about the talent,” Crabbe said.
Speaking from the Curve’s dugout at Peoples Natural Gas Field on Tuesday, Solometo marveled at the expansive outfield that starkly contrasted with the hitter-friendly dimensions at First National Bank Field, Greensboro’s home. Though he only gave up two home runs in 58 ⅔ innings while with the Grasshoppers, Solometo has a lot to look forward to when making his first start in Altoona, which is slated for Friday.
“This is definitely a nice change of pace from Greensboro,” Solometo said while peering out past the infield. “In Greensboro, they get it off the bat and you’re sweating like the ‘Key & Peele’ meme, just drenched in sweat as the ball’s up in the air.”
For Solometo to succeed at this level, though, he knows the work he’s already put into improving both his delivery and repertoire is far from over. A priority these days is consistently getting his changeup down. While Solometo’s firm slider has been effective this season as an out pitch that he can seemingly locate anywhere, he recognizes that further developing his changeup will be critical to aiding his four-seam fastball that sits in the mid- to high-90s.
He’s trying not to put too much pressure on himself to be perfect, but Solometo knows that becoming a more complete and efficient pitcher will be essential to making the jump to MLB.
“You’ve got to be a little bit more refined, and that’s what I’m going to try to do,” Solometo said. “Each level that I go through, just boost the consistency a little bit more.”
As he’s demonstrated this season, Solometo is capable of accomplishing goals set both by himself and others like Davis. If his fast-tracking through the Pirates’ system at such a young age is any indication, the franchise thinks quite highly of Solometo and is more than willing to challenge him.
It’s only been a few days, but Solometo is glad to have settled into Altoona for the time being. If he keeps up with the exemplary pitching he displayed at his previous two minor league stops, it might be wise for Solometo to keep a few of his moving boxes packed.
“Being able to get here is just an awesome feeling,” Solometo. “Now, I just want to keep going.”
Andrew Destin: adestin@post-gazette.com and Twitter @AndrewDestin1.
First Published: June 21, 2023, 1:07 p.m.
Updated: June 21, 2023, 2:12 p.m.
