Hunter Barco burst on the scene a standout arm with raw talent during his career with the Florida Gators. Now, he’s taking time in the Sunshine State to restore his stock in spring training with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Barco impressed from the left side with a 17-5 record, a 3.18 ERA and over 11 strikeouts per nine innings in his collegiate career. That body of work made him a second-round draft selection by Pittsburgh in 2022. He’s pitched to the tune of a sub-4.00 ERA in each of his two full seasons in the minor leagues, but the Pirates southpaw still has another gear to find.
His arsenal appears to have some extra kick this spring. He reached 97 MPH with his fastball in his latest spring training outing against the New York Yankees.
Barco had a quick promotion to Double-A Altoona and still has a ways to go in his development, but Pittsburgh could elevate the talent in the future if he stays on schedule.
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