The Pirates Prospects 2013 Prospect Guide is now on sale. The book features over 250 prospect reports, the 2013 top 50 prospects, and the most comprehensive coverage of the Pirates’ farm system that you can find. While the top 50 prospects are exclusive to the book, we will be releasing the top 20 prospects over the next few weeks. Be sure to purchase your copy of the book on the products page of the site.
To recap the countdown so far:
20. Jin-De Jhang, C
18. Vic Black, RHP
13. Tony Sanchez, C
11. Clay Holmes, RHP
We continue the countdown with the number 7 prospect, Barrett Barnes.
7. Barrett Barnes, OF
The Pirates received a first round compensation pick in the 2012 draft after seeing free agent Ryan Doumit sign with the Minnesota Twins. They used that pick to take Barnes, who was one of the top guys on the board at the time. The outfielder has a lot of tools, with quick hands, good power, and above-average speed.
He started his career in State College, and put up some strong numbers in a pitcher friendly league. Barnes hurt his leg in the second half, cutting his season short. When healthy he impressed with his athleticism and easy swing. He showed an advanced feel for hitting, with great plate patience, and a quick bat which allows him to react later to pitches.
Barnes wasn’t as advanced on defense and his fit in centerfield will be a question mark as he moves through the system. His arm is below-average, and he doesn’t cover as much ground in center field as you’d expect for a player of his speed. He might eventually move to a corner outfield spot. Such a move wouldn’t be an issue for Barnes. He’s got plus power and the hitting ability to handle a corner outfield spot, which is something that’s rare in the Pirates’ system.
The Pirates send a lot of college players to West Virginia in their first full season, but tend to send the high picks and the advanced hitters to Bradenton. Barnes should make that move to start the 2013 season. If he gets off to a strong start, just like the start we saw in State College in 2012, he could move up to Altoona by the end of the year.
The Pirates have a lot of outfield depth, and a lot of potential impact guys. They’ve got Starling Marte, Travis Snider, Jose Tabata, and Alex Presley fighting for corner outfield spots in the majors to start the 2013 season. Barnes should be joined in Bradenton by Gregory Polanco, with Josh Bell in West Virginia right behind those guys. Barnes has the potential to be an impact guy on offense, capable of hitting for average, getting on base, and hitting 20-25 homers per year.
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Tim started Pirates Prospects in 2009 from his home in Virginia, which was 40 minutes from where Pedro Alvarez made his pro debut in Lynchburg. That year, the Lynchburg Hillcats won the Carolina League championship, and Pirates Prospects was born from Tim's reporting along the way. The site has grown over the years to include many more writers, and Tim has gone on to become a credentialed MLB reporter, producing Pirates Prospects each year, and will publish his 11th Prospect Guide this offseason. He has also served as the Pittsburgh Pirates correspondent for Baseball America since 2019. Behind the scenes, Tim is an avid music lover, and most of the money he gets paid to run this site goes to vinyl records.
any good comparisons for Barnes in the mlb?
Steve ~ Just a guess, maybe Kirby Puckett? hahaha, wouldn’t THAT be nice 🙂
He’d fit nicely in RF in 2-3 years, esp if Tabata and/or Snider don’t make it.
Gotta feel good about Barnes, Polanco and Bell all moving towards Pittsburgh at a pace that should see the successful ones in town right about the time we know what’s what with Marte, Snider, Tabata, and AP.
And the nice thing is that none of our top guys- in Pittsburgh and in the minors- looks like they’d be hopeless in PNC’s left field, let alone in right. An outfield of McCutchen, Marte and whoever makes it out of Polanco, Bell and Barnes would cover a ton of ground out there.
As much as we all like Hansen, we’re REALLY depending on him not just reaching the majors but doing so as a shortstop, otherwise we’re in trouble at the position. Outfield is a different story- a LOT would have to go wrong for us to break camp in any of the next handful of years without 4-5 pleasing OF options.