MIAMI -- Brendan Dixon had made up his mind. He was going to go back to school. The Weatherford Junior College (Texas) product had conversations with teams about being an under-slot day two pick, but none of them were willing to meet his asking price.
The Pirates called near the end of day three and asked if he would be interested in signing. Dixon was, and the Pirates selected him with their 20th round pick, their final of the 2021 draft class.
“It was for sure a wild three days," Dixon told me recently. "Something I never want to experience again. Thankful I don’t have to.”
With Class Low-A Bradenton, Dixon emerged as one of the clubhouse's leaders and is turning in a solid first showing in affiliated ball, homering five times with a .692 OPS. The 21-year-old infielder has been able to bounce between first, second and third, giving him some versatility to stay in the lineup.
On Tuesday, Dixon was activated from the injured list after being placed there earlier this month.
It's going to be a long journey for him to potentially achieve his dream of being a major-leaguer. He's found an athlete to look up to for that journey: Tom Brady. Part of Brady's claim to fame is he rose from being a late-round pick to being one of the greatest to ever play his sport.
So if you go into Dixon's apartment, you'll find plenty of Brady photos.
“I’ve got his photo everywhere in my room," Dixon said. “I know I’m a last round pick. I want my attitude to be that hard-nosed, chip on my shoulder guy.”
Dixon knows he'll have to turn down the Brady love if he gets to Pittsburgh. Before then, he's going to have to drive over to Tampa to watch him play live.
"This year is going to have to be my year I do that."
TOP 10 PROSPECTS
This is the new DKPS top-10 ranking of the Pirates' prospects, as selected -- and debated -- by our baseball staff of Alex Stumpf, Chris Halicke, Jarrod Prugar and myself.
Each week, we'll move players up and down as warranted, though the final ranking's always intended to reflect the overarching potential for their performance upon arriving in Pittsburgh, rather than being a short-term hot/cold list. Also, if they're in the majors, even on an emergency basis, they won't be on this list. It's for players in the minors.
After some time off, there is a bit of a shakeup among the top 10.
1. HENRY DAVIS (1)
Position: Catcher
Affiliate: Class AA Altoona
Acquired: Pirates' first-round pick, 2021
Age: 22
Stats: .268/.399/.483, 7 HR, 31 RBIs
Davis was placed on the injured list again on July 8 because of the same left wrist injury that sidelined him in May. The Pirates don't view it as a long-term issue, but he will rest it for a few weeks before the club formulates a plan to get him back into game action. That does mean he will not be playing in the Futures Game in Los Angeles Saturday.
2. MIKE BURROWS (2)
Position: Right-handed pitcher
Affiliate: Class AAA Indianapolis
Acquired: Pirates' 11th-round pick, 2018
Age: 22
Stats: 4-4, 3.86 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 88 K, 20 BB
Burrows' first few starts have not gone particularly well, allowing 13 runs over his first 18 innings. His trajectory is still up, though, and he could potentially crack top 100 lists by the end of the season. He'll also be heading to Los Angeles to participate in the Futures Game Saturday.
3. LIOVER PEGUERO (3)
Position: Shortstop
Affiliate: Class AA Altoona
Acquired: Trade with Diamondbacks, 2020
Age: 21
Stats: .276/.316/.422, 6 HRs, 37 RBIs
After hinting that he would get reps elsewhere, Peguero has made two consecutive starts at second base, partially due to the absence of the injured Nick Gonzales. A shortstop by trade, a position trade may be necessary given that Oneil Cruz has shown in a small major-league sample size that he can handle the major-league job.
4. QUINN PRIESTER (4)
Position: Right-handed pitcher
Affiliate: Class AA Altoona
Acquired: Pirates' first-round pick, 2019
Age: 21
Stats: 1-1, 4.15 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 22 K, 5 BB
He is wearing one poor start early in the year, which is why the overall numbers aren't too impressive, but he's struck out eight and allowed just two earned runs over his last two outings. He's still building up his pitch count after being sidelined with an oblique injury, so he has maxed out at four innings in a start.
5. NICK GONZALES (5)
Position: Second base
Affiliate: Class AA Altoona
Acquired: Pirates' first-round pick, 2020
Age: 23
Stats: .247/.366/.377, 4 HR, 15 RBIs
He's on the 60-day injured list with a heel injury, but he is out of his walking boot. His rehab may be transitioned to Florida soon, but the first step is a gradual progression of baseball activities to make sure he's back in the best position.
6. ANTHONY SOLOMETO (6)
Position: Left-handed pitcher
Affiliate: Low Class A Bradenton
Acquired: Pirates' second-round pick, 2021
Age: 19
Stats: 1-0, 4.11 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 17 K, 5 BB
I had a good conversation with Solometo recently about how he is growing as a pitcher, if you missed it. Back on the pitching rubber after being sidelined with a lat strain, He has recorded six innings of two run ball over his last two outings.
7. BUBBA CHANDLER (9)
Position: Right-handed pitcher, infielder
Affiliate: Class Low A Bradenton
Acquired: Pirates' third-round pick, 2021
Age: 19
Pitching stats: 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 0.848 WHIP, 27K, 10BB
Hitting stats: .267/.450/.667, 3 HRs, 9 RBIs
Chandler is moving up in the Pirates' system, so he should be here too. After recording an OPS north of 1.000 as a hitter and 27 strikeouts over 15.1 innings pitched in the Florida Coast League, he was promoted to Class Low-A Bradenton this week.
8. JI-HWAN BAE (7)
Position: Utility
Affiliate: Class AAA Indianapolis
Acquired: International free agent, 2018
Age: 22
Stats: .303/.369/.465, 8 HRs, 39 RBIs
Bae just continues to hit, and is now 44-140 (.314) since June 1. He's stolen 20 bases, though it has come at the cost of seven caught stealings. The question with him is when will he be added to the 40 man roster? He's Rule 5 eligible this winter, but his versatility and the Pirates' lack of a true leadoff hitter could create an opportunity in the majors before the year is through.
9. ENDY RODRIGUEZ (9)
Position: Catcher, Utility
Affiliate: High Class A Greensboro
Acquired: Trade with Mets/Padres, 2021
Age: 22
Stats: .274/.375/.483, 9 HRs, 41 RBIs
After a fairly forgettable June, Rodriguez has reached base in 15 straight games. He's doubled in three of his last six games, showing a bit more consistent power. That's important after some rough stretches in hitter-friendly Greensboro. He does have the positional flexibility, especially at catcher, to stay on the radar for a while, perhaps even after this list is shaken up after the draft.
10. Jared Jones (NR)
Position: Right-handed pitcher
Affiliate: Class High A Greensboro
Acquired: Pirates' second-round pick, 2020
Age: 21
Stats: 3-4, 5.06 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, 94 Ks, 34 BBs
The 10th spot on these lists has definitely been the most fluid, with Jones in particular sliding in and out of the top 10s. He gets the nod this week after a strong outing July 8 (6 1/3 innings, 2 ER, 6 Ks) and a conversation I had with a member of the Pirates' pitching development team that was complimentary. The results aren't there, and I have heard his stuff isn't playing as much this year as it did in 2021, but Greensboro is as rough a pitching environment as you're going to find on the east coast. His future is going to be determined once he gets to Altoona. There, he could emerge as a legitimate starter or a reliever.
HONORABLE MENTION
• Rodolfo Nolasco was one of the top performers in the minors last week, going deep four straight games. After a slow start in his jump to affiliate ball this year, the 20-year-old outfielder from the Dominican Republic is showing why he was considered to be a sleeper in the system.
