This story was excerpted from Alex Stumpf’s Pirates Beat e-newsletter. To learn the complete e-newsletter, click on right here. And subscribe to get it recurrently in your inbox.
As we proceed to wrap up the 2025 season and have a look towards ‘26, let’s check out the Pirates’ farm system. As an entire, the group appears higher than a 12 months in the past, due partially to continued growth of some key gamers and a handful of Commerce Deadline offers.
So whom ought to we be being attentive to as we put together for subsequent season?
Edward Florentino is the massive winner, rising to the No. 81 prospect on MLB Pipeline’s Prime 100 listing. The 18-year-old outfielder had a terrific first exhibiting with Single-A Bradenton, slashing .262/.380/.503 with 10 house runs and 29 stolen bases in simply 54 video games. Florentino has actual pop, however maybe simply as spectacular is that he doesn’t chase a lot, and he has nice contact numbers on pitches within the zone. You don’t see many youngsters with that sort of profile, and he may develop into being one of many sport’s prime prospects in 2026.
Wilber Dotel (the Pirates’ No. 28 prospect) entered final offseason with a mid-90s fastball, however he developed new instruments this 12 months with new offspeed choices to assist it. The splitter gave him a diving pitch that permit him successfully use the decrease a part of the strike zone (or have a pitch that appears like a low strike after which dives under), and the cutter was in a position to play in the entire zone. Double-A Altoona pitching coach Matt Ford described it as a “profession changer” in Could.
Will Taylor was a wild-card fifth-round Draft choose in 2024, a cube roll on a former prime prospect after he had a soccer damage with Clemson. Taylor confirmed a mix of energy and velocity, hitting 14 homers and swiping 23 baggage (with an .831 OPS) whereas making the bounce from Bradenton to Excessive-A Greensboro. He’s enjoying within the Arizona Fall League to get extra reps, and he nonetheless has the potential to be a prime 30 prospect.
Two breakout picksWhat’s a greater breakout prediction: choosing somebody from the underside half of the prospects listing who may rise to the highest, or selecting an unranked prospect who may make the leap to the highest 30? Let’s play it secure and choose certainly one of every.
Jeter Martinez (No. 24) was acquired from the Mariners for Caleb Ferguson on the Commerce Deadline, and whereas he has some command points to iron out, he has stuff. The 19-year-old right-hander’s fastball sits within the mid-90s, and his 6-foot-4 body suggests he can add a couple of extra ticks. I’ve heard good issues concerning the breaking ball, and seeing him at Pirate Metropolis, it does transfer. Continued growth of his changeup and ironing out that management goes to find out if he’s a starter or a reliever, but when he strikes to the bullpen, he has the potential to be a stud.
Sticking with right-handed energy throwers, Antwone Kelly labored in pitching labs for the primary time this previous offseason and noticed his fastball lastly rise to 100 mph. The journeys have been price greater than just a bit velocity, too, as he had a 3.02 ERA and 116 strikeouts over 107 1/3 innings between Greensboro and Altoona. He in all probability profiles higher out of the bullpen, the place he could possibly be one of many tougher throwers within the system.
One large query for 2026Griffin could be the most effective place participant prospect the Pirates have ever had. That doesn’t imply he’s going to be the most effective participant they’ve ever produced from the Minors (MVPs like Barry Bonds and Andrew McCutchen are apparent solutions), however I don’t know if there has ever been this a lot buzz for a Pirates Minor League hitter. He’s the No. 1 prospect within the sport and cleansing up within the postseason awards.
So will we see Griffin in Pittsburgh in 2026?
Primarily based on conversations I had on the finish of the season, I’ll hazard a guess that Griffin will begin subsequent 12 months with Triple-A Indianapolis. If he performs effectively there, I don’t understand how lengthy he could be stored from Pittsburgh. The left aspect of the infield wants an improve. If the Pirates choose up a 3rd baseman and have Jared Triolo begin the 12 months because the shortstop, there can be a really clear path for Griffin to achieve the Majors.
Griffin should earn the chance. However after seeing how he simply dealt with his first full season in professional ball, it’s an actual chance.
