The Pittsburgh Pirates’ cupboard of prospects isn’t completely bare despite the emergence of Paul Skenes, Oneil Cruz and Jared Jones in the big leagues.
And Pittsburgh’s placement in Baseball America’s rankings of each organization’s farm system, which came out Wednesday, reflected that.
The Pirates farm system came in the middle of the pack as Baseball America ranked it 16th among all other big-league clubs. The Boston Red Sox took the top spot. The ranking isn’t far off from the last two seasons — the Pirates ranked 11th and 12th in 2023 and 2024, respectively — as Pittsburgh is boosted by its young pitching talent.
“Pittsburgh’s pitching development machine rolls on. Bubba Chandler is the latest Pirates arm to rank among the game’s top pitching prospects, and more upper-level pitching talent lines up behind him,” Baseball America wrote. “Pittsburgh’s hitting depth faces far more scrutiny, making 2024 first-rounder Konnor Griffin a key focal point.”
Chandler performed well last season at both Double-A and Triple-A. The 22-year-old right-hander posted a combined 10-7 record with a 3.08 ERA and 1.02 WHIP to go along with 148 strikeouts in 119 2/3 innings. He really dazzled in Triple-A, where he went 4-0 in seven starts with a 1.83 ERA and struck out 54 batters in 39 1/3 innings. Chandler, who received a non-roster invitation to Pirates spring training, could possibly crack the Opening Day roster.
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It will be much harder for Griffin, 18, to do the same. The Pirates selected Griffin ninth overall in last year’s MLB draft out of Jackson Preparatory School in Flowood, Miss. Griffin is ranked as Pittsburgh’s second-best prospect by Baseball America.
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