The Pittsburgh Pirates have a farm system littered with talented pitching prospects.
Despite graduating the likes of Paul Skenes and Jared Jones last season, the Pirates still boast multiple pitching prospects in the MLB’s Top 100, including Bubba Chandler. Pitching is what kept the Pirates in the playoff race this past season, but they ultimately finished outside the playoffs with a 76-86 record.
The Pirates may have a lot of pitching, but it was utility player prospect Nick Yorke who was named the team’s top prospect who landed outside of the top 100, according to MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo, Jim Callis, and Sam Dykstra.
“A surprise first-round pick of the Red Sox in 2020, Yorke had a very solid pro debut in ’21, struggled in ’22, rebounded a little in ’23 and then really clicked at Triple-A in ’24 ahead of Boston sending him to the Pirates in the Quinn Priester deal last year,” Mayo, Callis, and Dykstra said.
“He raked after the trade (.938 OPS in 40 games) to lead to his first taste of the big leagues, and the Pirates think he has the chance to hit for average with some power in Pittsburgh.”
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Yorke got his first taste of the majors towards the end of last season after being traded to the Pirates. He slashed .216/.286/.378 in 11 games for Pittsburgh, with two home runs, five RBIs, and two stolen bases. He displayed his potential in the minors last season and appears set to play a sizable role with the Pirates next season and be a difference-maker.
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