Welcome to In The System, our new daily analysis of the latest throughout the Pirates' organization!
Each morning, we'll spotlight an individual player or performance from the previous day/night, in addition to offering convenient links to find all the information anyone could want on Class AAA Indianapolis, Class AA Altoona, high Class A Greensboro and low Class A Bradenton throughout the season.
Player: Roansy Contreras
Position: Pitcher
Bats/throws: Right/right
Age: 21
Size: 6-0, 175 pounds
MLB organizational rank: 20th
Affiliate: Altoona
Contreras is off to arguably the best start of any pitcher in the minor leagues. On Tuesday, he went 6 2/3 shutout innings against the Harrisburg Senators, allowing just two hits and a walk while striking out six. He's now struck out 28 over 17 2/3 scoreless innings this year.
Per a source, he was getting over 3,000 RPM on his curveball, and his fastball has been comfortably in the mid- to upper-90s. That's a rare combination of spin and velocity, and he has a plus slider and changeup in his back pocket too. His stuff has taken a serious step forward from his last game action in 2019.
After three dominant starts in Class AA, the question is when he will get the call to Indianapolis. There aren't any plans yet, but that promotion seems inevitable.
ELSEWHERE
• After a shaky start to the year, top pitching prospect Quinn Priester turned in a strong outing Tuesday, tossing five shutout innings for the Greensboro Grasshoppers. He walked one, allowed three hits and struck out four.
He lowered his ERA to 4.50, though that is a moot point so early in the season.
• Travis Swaggerty exited early Tuesday after jamming his shoulder diving back to first base. Swaggerty's average has dipped to .220, but he has still gone deep three times on the young season and is hitting the ball as hard as anyone in the system. He was expected to reach the majors at some point this season.
• The Bradenton Marauders were shutout and limited to three hits, two of them to Jasiah Dixon. The center fielder is fleet of foot and a plus base runner, and is doing a good job getting on base, posting a .367 OBP this season. He's not a top prospect at this point, but at just 19, he has room to grow as a player and could eventually get on the radar.
OFFICIAL LINKS
YOUR TURN: We'd love to hear from you, too, especially if you make it out to see any of these prospects and affiliates play. Feel free to file your own original scouting reports and other observations in comments.