A few more pitchers in the Pirates' minor league organization:

Justin Wilson --  L/L,  6' 2",  233 lb
Wilson was chosen by the Pirates in the 5th round of the 2008 draft.  He signed late, so made his pro debut in 2009 with A+ Lynchburg.  He had a 6-8 record there, with a 4.50 ERA, but in the last two months of the season, he was showing some improvement, with 10 earned runs in 47.1 innings over his last 9 games (1.90 ERA).  Wilson was promoted to AA Altoona for 2010, and he began with a rough month of April, when he allowed 9 runs on 13 hits in 12.1 innings (6.57 ERA).  He also walked 10 batters that month.  Wilson turned it around in May, when he allowed just 5 runs on 19 hits in 32.2 innings, for a 1.38 ERA.  Though he still walked 12 batters, he also struck out 36 batters in the month, including a 10-strikeout game and a 7-strikeout game.  Wilson settled out in the middle in July, when he earned a 3.65 ERA with 10 earned runs in 24.2 innings, and then a 3.19 ERA in August/Sept with 13 runs in 36.2 innings.  He finished the regular season with an 11-8 record in 27 games (one relief appearance), with 49 earned runs and 109 hits in 142.2 innings.  Wilson has had control problems, and that continued in 2010.  He walked 71 batters (4.5 walks/ 9 innings), and he also struck out 134 batters (8.5 K/ 9 innings).  Wilson won both of the games he started for the Curve in their playoff run, pitching 6 scoreless innings with 2 hits in the first round, and then 7 scoreless innings with 5 hits in the championship round.  After the regular season, Wilson participated in the Arizona Fall League, where he got into 6 games for the Mesa Solar Sox.  He gave up 9 runs on 19 hits, including 2 homers, with 8 walks and 16 strikeouts.  The 23-year-old Wilson is ready for AAA, where he'll need to keep working on his command and keep up the strikeouts.  He might get sent to Altoona again, though, if the Pirates fill up Indianapolis with a lot of "major league ready" pitchers.  


Tony Watson  --  L/L,  6' 4",  223 lb
The Pirates took Watson in the 9th round of the 2007 draft.  Watson was named the Pirates' minor league pitcher of the year in 2008, when he pitched in Lynchburg.  He was promoted to Altoona to begin 2009 and made 5 starts there.  He pitched just 15.1 innings and allowed 14 earned runs and 22 hits, which were probably due to the elbow problems that put him onto the DL for the rest of the season.  Watson returned to Altoona for 2010, where he pitched mostly in relief and stayed healthy.  He began with a hot April, allowing 3 runs on 5 hits in 13.2 innings over 5 relief appearances for a 1.98 ERA.  He made 8 appearances in each of May and June, and continued to do well, with 10 runs on 20 hits in 36.2  innings (2.45 ERA).  July was going well for Watson until the end of the month, with just 2 runs in 15.1 runs in 5 relief appearances.  Then he was moved back to the starting rotation -- and gave up 10 runs in a combined 10.2 innings.  Watson stayed in the rotation for the rest of the season, and finished the year well, with 10 runs on 30 hits in 40 inning over 7 starts.  that gave him a 6-4 record and 2 saves for the season, with a 2.67 ERA and 111.1 innings, with 33 earned runs and 82 hits.  His control was solid, with 24 walks for the season (1.9 walks/ 9 innings) and 105 strikeouts (8.5 K/ 9 innings).  Like Wilson, Watson also made 2 starts in the Curve's playoff run, allowing 2 runs in each of 2 starts, and winning both games.  The Pirates placed the 25-year old Watson onto the 40-man roster last fall.  He should be promoted to Indianapolis for 2010, where he' likely be used out of the bullpen.  He has a chance of making a trip up to Pittsburgh by the end of the season.  

Reaching the upper levels of the Pirates' minor league pitchers....

Rudy Owens  --  L/L,  6' 3",  215 lb
The Pirates selected Owens in the 28th round of the 2006 draft.  After so-so seasons with the GCL Pirates and State College, Owens suddenly had the light bulb go on for him at West Virginia in 2009.  He made 19 starts for the Power, and earned a 10-1 record.  In 100.1 innings, he allowed 19 earned runs and 71 hits, with 15 walks (1.3 walks/ 9 innings) and 91 strikeouts (8.1 K/ 9 innings).  Owens was promoted to A+ Lynchburg, where he made 6 more starts, though they were short starts as the Pirates were concerned about his total innings for the season.  He allowed more hits and runs in his 23.1 innings there, but still walked only 2 and struck out 22.  He was named the Pirates' Minor League Pitcher of the Year for 2009.  Owens returned to Altoona for the 2010, and had another great season, again earning the award for Minor League Pitcher of the Year.  He began the season with a 3.57 ERA in April, allowing 9 earned runs and 22 hits in 22.2 innings, with a 2-0 record.  He dropped that ERA to 2.75 for May, with 11 earned runs on 23 hits in 36 innings, and a 3-2 record.  He gave up 5 runs and 4 runs in two games in one week, but also pitched 6 shutout innings in two other starts.  In June, Owens did even better, with 7 runs in 30 innings (2.10 ERA), but July was a tougher month, with another 5-run start, and a 3.49 ERA.  He stepped it back up in August, allowing just 3 runs on 20 hits in 33 innings (0.81 ERA).  That gave him a 2.46 ERA and 12-6 record for the season, with 150 innings, 41 earned runs, and 124 hits.  He also walked 23 (1.4 walks/ 9 innings) and struck out 132 (7.9 K/ ( innings.)  When the Curve got into the playoffs, Owens made one very un-Owens-like start in the first playoff series, but struggled, giving up 5 runs (4 earned) on 4 hits and 3 walks in 1.2 innings.  He pitched better in his start in the second series, against Trenton, and allowed 2 runs on 7 hits in 5 innings.  Owens also was named to the Eastern League All-Star team, and pitched one inning in the All-Star Game, allowing 3 hits and 2 runs.  Owens has a fastball in the low 90's, with good command, as well as a changeup and curve.  He should be ready for AAA to begin 2011, though the Pirates have indicated that they might hold him in AA for a little while, since they want more "major league ready" pitchers in Indianapolis.  The 23-year-old should still be pitching in Indy by later in the season, and has a chance at being called up to Pittsburgh by the end of the season.  


Jeff Locke  --  L/L,   6' 2",  180 lb
The Pirates obtained Locke from the Braves in the trade that sent Nate McLouth to Atlanta in 2009.  He'd had a shaky start to that season, and did only a little better after he came to A+ Lynchburg, where he earned a 4-4 record and 4.08 ERA in 17 starts.  His walk rate improved, but his strikeout rate dropped.  Locke began the 2010 season back in A+ at Bradenton, but started pulling it together.  In 17 starts for the Marauders, he earned a 9-3 record and a 3.54 ERA.  He began the season with a 2-1 record and a 2.89 ERA in April, with 6 runs and 14 hits in 18.2 innings, including one game in which he struck out 10 batters in 5 innings.  He went 5-2 in May and June, though his ERA rose to 3.81 for those two months, with an 8 strikeout game and two 7 strikeout games in June.  Overall, Locke struck out 83 batters in Bradenton (8.7 K/ 9 innings), while walking just 14 (1.5 walks/ 9 innings).  He was named to the Florida State League's All-Star team, and pitched a perfect inning in the All-Star Game.  Locke was promoted to AA Altoona in mid-July, and made another 10 starts there.  Two of the starts were rough, allowing 6 runs in 5 innings and 7 runs in 5 innings, but the rest were solid, and he finished the regular season with a 3-2 record and a 3.59 ERA for the Curve, allowing 23 runs on 57 hits in 57.2 innings.  He walked 12 batters (1.9 walks/ 9 innings) and struck out another 56 batters (8.7 K/ 9 innings).
Locke also pitched for the Curve in their playoff run.  In the first round, he gave up one earned run on 4 hits in 4.2 innings, but got a no-decision.  He won his game in the championship round, with on run on 6 hits in 7 innings, and struck out 8 Trenton batters.  Locke was added to the Pirates' 40-man roster last fall.  His control has improved as he continues to work on mechanics.  At 23 years of age, Locke should be ready for AAA in 2011, but like Owens, may be held back in Altoona for awhile, depending on what goes on with the Pirates' "major league ready" pitchers.  He also has a chance of being promoted as far as Pittsburgh by the end of the season.