Pirates' system has shifted toward hitting in recent years
There was a time when the Pirates’ system was flush with pitchers, but searching to find some break throughs on the hitting side. Over the past couple of years there has been a noticeable focus on injecting the system with hitters, and that is reflected with each release of national outlet’s rankings of the organization.
Through breakout seasons from Konnor Griffin, Edward Florentino, and Esmerlyn Valdez, the Pirates’ system is starting to lean towards hitting, especially at the top.
When looking at some of the major publications that put out prospect rankings (Baseball America, MLB Pipeline, The Athletic, and ESPN), the Pirates are very hitter-friendly at the top of the system currently.
Across those four sites, hitters take up 65% of the overall top 10 spots. The Athletic has eight hitting prospects among their own Pirates’ top 10 prospects. Only Baseball America has a 50/50 split among pitchers and hitters, the rest favor the latter.
MLB Pipeline and Baseball America are the only two sites that extend out to a top 30, and they both favor hitters. Some of that is due to them graduating several of their top pitching prospects over the past couple of years, but it goes beyond that. When just looking at Pipeline you can see the recent emphasis on injecting some more offense in the system.
Out of the 19 hitting prospects on their top 30, 12 have been added either through the draft, a trade, or as an international signing. Griffin and Florentino are the highlights of that group, but additions of Jhostynxon Garica and Rafael Flores through trades added two top 10 hitting prospects into the system. Easton Carmichael, Murf Gray, and Duce Gourson are prospects drafted in each of the last two drafts that have added depth to the system on the backend of their top 30.
The Pirates have added plenty of offensive talent into the system, the next step, is developing and translating it to the major league level.
THE ASYLUM
Pirates' system has shifted toward hitting in recent years
There was a time when the Pirates’ system was flush with pitchers, but searching to find some break throughs on the hitting side. Over the past couple of years there has been a noticeable focus on injecting the system with hitters, and that is reflected with each release of national outlet’s rankings of the organization.
Through breakout seasons from Konnor Griffin, Edward Florentino, and Esmerlyn Valdez, the Pirates’ system is starting to lean towards hitting, especially at the top.
When looking at some of the major publications that put out prospect rankings (Baseball America, MLB Pipeline, The Athletic, and ESPN), the Pirates are very hitter-friendly at the top of the system currently.
Across those four sites, hitters take up 65% of the overall top 10 spots. The Athletic has eight hitting prospects among their own Pirates’ top 10 prospects. Only Baseball America has a 50/50 split among pitchers and hitters, the rest favor the latter.
MLB Pipeline and Baseball America are the only two sites that extend out to a top 30, and they both favor hitters. Some of that is due to them graduating several of their top pitching prospects over the past couple of years, but it goes beyond that. When just looking at Pipeline you can see the recent emphasis on injecting some more offense in the system.
Out of the 19 hitting prospects on their top 30, 12 have been added either through the draft, a trade, or as an international signing. Griffin and Florentino are the highlights of that group, but additions of Jhostynxon Garica and Rafael Flores through trades added two top 10 hitting prospects into the system. Easton Carmichael, Murf Gray, and Duce Gourson are prospects drafted in each of the last two drafts that have added depth to the system on the backend of their top 30.
The Pirates have added plenty of offensive talent into the system, the next step, is developing and translating it to the major league level.
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