Pirates Already Promoted Two Top Prospects: These Names Could Be Next

The Pittsburgh Pirates’ youth movement is only just getting started.

After promoting right-handers Mike Burrows and Braxton Ashcraft in May, Pittsburgh could soon dip back into its farm system. A trio of high-upside prospects — Bubba Chandler, Hunter Barco and Nick Yorke — appear primed for a major league look before the end of June.

Chandler, a 21-year-old righty, has dominated since reaching Triple-A. He has limited runs, missed bats at a high rate and is rising in MLB Pipeline’s prospect rankings. Chandler is also Baseball America’s third-ranked prospect across all of baseball — the highest national ranking any Pirates player has this season.

“Chandler is pretty much the undisputed best Triple-A pitcher right now,” writes Noah Wright of Rumbunter, “The right-hander ranks first in ERA, FIP, K%, and comes in second in K%-BB%, HR/9, xFIP, and WHIP among Triple-A pitchers with at least 80 IP since last season.”

Barco, a 2022 draft pick, opened his season with 30 consecutive scoreless innings between Double-A Altoona and Triple-A Indianapolis. He’s yet to give up a home run and has consistently generated soft contact. After missing time in May due to injury, the lefty returned with a sharp three-inning outing that included seven strikeouts. With Pittsburgh relying on a collection of veteran southpaws — including Andrew Heaney, Caleb Ferguson, and Joey Wentz — Barco could be a timely upgrade.

Yorke, meanwhile, offers value as a multi-position option with recent MLB experience. He played in 42 games for the Pirates in 2024 and has since regained form at the plate, hitting .322 in May at Triple-A. Yorke has logged innings at second base, third base, shortstop and both corner outfield spots over the last two seasons, making him a natural fit for a roster needing depth.

If the Pirates want to begin to learn how their future roster might take shape, tapping into this talent pool this summer could be a smart next step.

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