The Pittsburgh Pirates’ reputation as a pitching-first organization is no longer just a theory—it’s becoming an established reality across the Major Leagues.
While expected names like Bubba Chandler, Hunter Barco, Mike Burrows, and Braxton Ashcraft continue to deliver, it’s the unheralded arms who are now forcing their way into the conversation.
Antwone Kelly was hardly a headline prospect heading into the year. He struggled in 2024 and was sent to High-A Greensboro to start the 2025 season. That gamble is paying off. Kelly’s stuff has ticked up and so has his command. The 21-year-old righty now ranks among the Pirates’ top 20 prospects and could be knocking on the door of Double-A Altoona, sporting a 3.25 ERA with a .193 batting average against, 0.99 WHIP and 65 strikeouts in 55 1/3 innings.
Then there’s Wilber Dotel. His 2024 campaign was a step behind Kelly’s, and yet the Pirates opted to promote him to Altoona anyway. That move, too, looks shrewd in hindsight. The 22-year-old has found his rhythm at the next level, throwing more strikes and limiting damage with a heavy fastball that touches triple digits. He has a 3.93 ERA with 66 strikeouts and a .238 batting average against in 55 innings across 12 starts.
The emergence of both pitchers reflects the Pirates’ growing depth and player development pipeline on the mound, as Noah Wright of Rum Bunter writes. Kelly and Dotel weren’t listed among the organization’s top pitching prospects a year ago. Now, both have climbed inside the top 20.
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Their youth only adds to the intrigue. Kelly is one of the youngest starters in High-A, and Dotel isn’t far behind among his Double-A peers. Neither came into the year with much prospect hype — but each could soon be part of Pittsburgh’s long-term pitching plan.
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