The Pittsburgh Pirates struggled offensively this year, but that might be changing soon. Their top prospect, Konnor Griffin, could debut as early as next year. They also have an Aaron Judge-esque slugger in the Minor Leagues.
Tony Blanco Jr. resembles the New York Yankees superstar in several ways. They’re both giant right-handed sluggers who wear No. 99 and hit bombs. While Blanco is only 20 years old and has yet to progress past Single-A, the Judge comparisons are inevitable.
Blanco, whose father played one season for the Washington Nationals in 2005, has continued to turn heads in the Arizona Fall League. In 12 games for the Salt River Rafters, he’s batting .275/.408/.475 with two home runs, two doubles, seven RBI and eight walks. One of his homers traveled 464 feet, while one of his doubles rocketed off his bat at 120.8 mph — making it one of the hardest-hit balls of the Statcast era.
“Just beyond the baseball stuff, he’s a great human being, a good kid who works hard. His aptitude’s really high,” Salt River manager Eric Patterson told MLB.com’s Jesse Borek. “The work ethic is off the charts. He comes to the park prepared every day, and especially for being one of the younger guys in the league, I think the moment’s not too big for him.”
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Blanco ranks as the Pirates’ No. 30 prospect on MLB Pipeline, but he has the tools to soar up those rankings if he keeps progressing. The natural talent and raw power are already there, so now he just needs to focus on getting more experience and honing his approach at the plate.
If he does, there could be a homegrown MVP-caliber slugger in Pittsburgh by the end of the decade.
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Featured image via Brett Davis/Imagn Images