This story was excerpted from Alex Stumpf’s Pirates Beat publication. To learn the complete publication, click on right here. And subscribe to get it frequently in your inbox.
BRADENTON, Fla. — This winter, among the Pirates’ high pitching prospects joined Paul Skenes and Jared Jones in Athens, Ga., to work out with the younger duo and Skenes’ former school pitching coach, Wes Johnson. There was golf, comradery, and naturally, the mission at hand: Rising as a gaggle of pitchers, no matter what degree of professional ball they’re anticipated to start out the season with.
“There’s one widespread aim,” Hunter Barco, the membership’s No. 7 prospect in response to MLB Pipeline stated earlier this spring. “All of us could also be at totally different ranges, however ultimately, there’s one widespread aim — and that’s to win baseball video games and get to the massive leagues.”
The Pirates have one one of the best collections of Minor League pitching all through baseball, even with out Skenes and Jones. On Friday, these high Minor League arms are going to crew up for the Spring Breakout recreation, providing a peek at what the Pirates’ pitching workers may appear like for years to return.
Spring Breakout is a showcase of baseball’s future the place groups construct rosters of their high prospects to play in opposition to one another. The Pirates will tackle the Phillies’ high prospects on Friday at BayCare BallPark, with first pitch slated for 1:05 p.m. The sport might be broadcast on MLB.TV, MLB.com, MLB App, NBCSP+, MLB Community and you’ll comply with alongside on Gameday. Extra data on what you must know concerning the recreation might be discovered right here.
And whenever you have a look at the Pirates’ roster, it’s the pitching that stands out.
that group of pitchers, there may be some commonality, however they’re additionally distinctive. None of these pitchers listed was a first-round choose, however 2022 and 2024 first-round picks Termarr Johnson and Konnor Griffin, each infielders, might be taking part in. Matoma was a lower-profile worldwide signing in 2023 out of Uganda who’s beginning to blossom right into a respectable flamethrower out of the bullpen. Solometo and Barco are the 2 southpaws, however Barco can rise up to the upper-90s along with his fastball, whereas Solometo depends extra on funkiness and deception in his supply. Mueth pitches from a decrease arm slot and creates deception too, whereas Chandler can overwhelm hitters along with his stuff.
However the defining trait of this group of 5 pitchers is that they characterize nearly each degree of the farm system. Chandler goes to start out the season with Triple-A Indianapolis, however is on the cusp of the Main Leagues. Solometo and Barco completed final yr with Double-A Altoona. Mueth completed final season with Single-A Bradenton. Matoma turned 19 years previous final month and pitched within the Florida Complicated League. There’s an opportunity that sooner or later midseason, the Pirates may have one in every of every of those prospects on the 5 fundamental ranges of professional ball, from the Majors to Single-A.
However first, they get to share a subject and uniform for a day within the Spring Breakout recreation.
