Baseball America took a look at the ten youngest players to start the season at each level in the minors, broken down by league. The Pittsburgh Pirates had three players make the list: outfielder Jose Tabata, right handed pitcher Tim Alderson, and outfielder Robbie Grossman.
Tabata is the fourth youngest player in the International League, and the sixth youngest player at the AAA level to start the season.
Alderson is the ninth youngest player in the Eastern League, and the 23rd youngest player at the AA level to start the season.
Grossman is the tenth youngest player in the Florida State League, and the 22nd youngest player at the high-A level to start the season. Grossman would have still been the tenth youngest in the Carolina League had the Pirates not moved to Bradenton.
What I find interesting is that these three players often get the most criticism for not being up to speed with their development. That’s true of Tabata with his power, Alderson with his velocity, and Grossman with his strikeout numbers. There’s no guarantee that any of these three develop those skills further, but it’s clear that they’ve got some time to work it out, as each is playing at an advanced level for such a young age.
