ESPN’s updated list of the Pittsburgh Pirates’ top prospects shows a lot of movement within the organization’s top ten.
The very top of the list remains unchanged, as Konnor Griffin maintains his status as the top Pirates’ prospect and the top prospect in baseball. Griffin is on pace to graduate from prospect status as he continues to grow in his Major League career, but for the time being he’s the top dog for Pittsburgh.
First-year pitcher Seth Hernandez was previously ranked third for the Pirates but his dominant start to his career has him ranked as the second best prospect on ESPN’s updated list. So far this year the 19-year-old righty has a 2-0 record with a 1.23 ERA across five starts. Hernandez is coming off a week where he was named the FSL Pitcher of the Week and his most recent outing saw him strike out nine batters.
Moving up the list from four to three is Edward Florentino who is off to a hot start with High-A Greensboro this season. At just 19-years-old, the Dominican product is already in his third season of Minor League baseball and is excelling at a fast pace. Wyatt Sanford (4), Hunter Barco (5) and Esmerlyn Valdez (6) also found themselves moving up the most recent rankings. Barco is on the verge of working his way off this list as he’s made it to the majors and is looking better in recent outings. Valdez figures to be at the top of the list for the next prospect to be promoted as he’s already in Triple-A Indianapolis and is off to a hot start at the plate. It’s possible that he ends up in Pittsburgh as another depth piece for the team’s outfield.
Second baseman Termarr Johnson (7) and outfielder Jhostynxon Garcia (8) are the only two young Bucs that find themselves moving down the list. Johnson is in his first season with Indianapolis and has been struggling at the plate. Through 27 games, he has a .161 batting average, has struck out 25 times and has zero homers. Garcia looked to be a promising prospect when he was acquired from the Boston Red Sox in the offseason, but he too has struggled at the plate with Indy. He’s currently on rehab assignment with Low-A Bradenton.
Catcher Rafael Flores (9) and Antwone Kelly (10) round out the franchise’s top 10 list. Flores has been in conversation a lot recently as fans and critics have been discussing the poor play from Pittsburgh’s catchers. Flores has been performing better at the plate in Indy than Joey Bart and Henry Davis have been with the Pirates. Davis had his first two homers of the season against the Cincinnati Reds so he likely won’t be on the move, but there is an argument to be made that Flores should be promoted. Kelly was previously not in the top 10, but following some strong outings in Indy, he creeps in to the number ten spot.
The Pirates have the fifth overall pick in the upcoming MLB Draft and will be looking to add more promising talented to their already stacked Minor League system.
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