Over the last two days, Wilbur Miller has been taking a look at the encouraging start from the two Dominican Summer League affiliates of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Today we take a look at the progress being made by the top ten prospects from the 2018 DSL Pirates. First, here is the top ten list. You can click this link to read more about these players from reports we received last August.
- Juan Pie, OF
- Angel Basabe, OF
- Daniel Rivero, OF
- Yoyner Fajardo, IF/OF
- Bryan Torres, RHP
- Denny Roman, LHP
- Emilson Rosado, 3B
- Norkis Marcos, SS
- Estalin Ortiz, LHP
- Jesus Valles, RHP
This list includes a bunch of players who opened up the season with Morgantown, but only Valles and Roman are expected to stay with the club. The way Juan Pie has started off, he looks like he’s trying to stick as well, but that’s just with the bat. Watching him on the bases and in the field, you can tell that he is still very raw. Morgantown was using these players as fill-ins until the 2019 draft picks arrived and were ready to play.
Not much would change with the list at this point. Pie is still the number one prospect in the group, though I’d say I feel much more confident about that than I did last year. Basabe and Rivero are still 2/3, with Basabe getting a brief look in Morgantown, while Rivero has been batting lead-off for Bristol. The three 18-year-old outfielders are still considered a group above the rest of the pack.
Fajardo, Rosado and Marcos are expected to be big parts of the 2019 GCL Pirates infield, while Bryan Torres will be on their pitching staff. He was the big pitching prospect that the Pirates went after during the 2017-18 signing period, though he is only considered a big prospect compared to that group. The Pirates haven’t gone heavy on pitching on the international side, though that could change in this upcoming July 2nd signing period, where they are the favorites for one of the best pitchers available.
The bottom of the list is where I would have one change. If I waited a little longer to do the top ten, pitcher Jose Maldonado would have been on the list. That’s because we got great reports on him from the Fall Instructional League in the U.S., which began during the middle of September. He would have slotted #9 on last year’s list, and I probably would have done a 10a/10b with Ortiz and Valles. Maldonado is now in the Bristol starting rotation and has a lot of potential with his mid-90s fastball and sharp breaking ball. His control still needs work, but he has upside.
So the group still looks like a solid top ten a year later. All ten of the players moved up to the U.S., with two slated to stay in Morgantown already (Valles and Roman). Rivero looks to be staying in Bristol, while the other seven will make the GCL Pirates a very interesting group, not to mention that first round pick Quinn Priester, 37th overall pick Sammy Siani and 11th round pick Jase Bowen will also be there.
TODAY’S SCHEDULE
Today’s Starter and Notes: The Pittsburgh Pirates were off yesterday. They now begin a three-game series at home against the San Diego Padres. Joe Musgrove will get the start tonight. He went just four innings in his last outing, allowing six runs on nine hits and two walks. That was three days after he was ejected in the first inning of a game against the Atlanta Braves. The Padres will counter with 24-year-old lefty Eric Lauer, who has a 4.60 ERA in 74.1 innings, with 59 strikeouts and a 1.36 WHIP. He allowed five runs on ten hits in just 2.2 innings in his last start against the Colorado Rockies. He faced the Pirates back on May 16th and gave up one earned run over 5.2 innings.
The minor league schedule includes Rookie Davis making his second rehab start for Indianapolis. Davis was only out due to a blister, and barely missed any time, so this should be his final rehab outing, though he could just end up being optioned to Indianapolis prior to his next start. He allowed one run over three innings in his first rehab outing. Max Kranick will make his first start of the second half for Bradenton. He has a 1.93 ERA and an 0.91 WHIP in three June starts. He has gone 6+ innings in each of his last five starts. Altoona will send out Domingo Robles for the fifth time. He last outing was just 4.2 innings, which is his shortest start since last August 10th when he made his Bradenton debut.
Greensboro starter Steven Jennings has a 5.14 ERA, but he has allowed just four runs over his last 17.2 innings. Morgantown will send out 21-year-old Jesus Valles for his second start. He allowed two runs over 4.1 innings in his debut. Bristol’s Dante Mendoza will make his debut with the Pirates. The 20-year-old, 6’5″ right-hander was acquired from the Cleveland Indians in the Max Moroff/Jordan Luplow trade.
MLB: Pittsburgh (33-40) vs Padres (38-37) 7:05 PM
Probable starter: Joe Musgrove (4.87 ERA, 61:22 SO/BB, 77.2 IP)
AAA: Indianapolis (37-33) @ Pawtucket (30-41) 7:05 PM (season preview)
Probable starter: Rookie Davis (5.18 ERA, 29:14 SO/BB, 40.0 IP)
AA: Altoona (36-32) @ Hartford (37-32) 7:05 PM (season preview)
Probable starter: Domingo Robles (2.78 ERA, 17:6 SO/BB, 22.2 IP)
High-A: Bradenton (38-32) vs Tampa (29-40) 6:30 PM (season preview)
Probable starter: Max Kranick (4.03 ERA, 53:21 SO/BB, 67.0 IP)
Low-A: Greensboro (44-26) VS Delmarva (49-21) 7:00 PM (season preview)
Probable starter: Steven Jennings (5.14 ERA, 67:22 SO/BB, 68.1 IP)
Short-Season A: Morgantown (3-4) vs State College (6-1) 7:05 PM (season preview)
Probable starter: Jesus Valles (4.15 ERA, 3:2 SO/BB, 4.1 IP)
Rookie: Bristol (0-3) vs Greeneville (1-2) 6:30 PM (season preview)
Probable starter: Dante Mendoza (NR)
DSL: Pirates1 (6-11) vs Rays2 (10-7) 10:30 AM (season preview)
DSL: Pirates2 (15-2) vs Colorado (7-10) 10:30 AM (season preview)
HIGHLIGHTS
From Altoona, if you weren’t a fan of James Marvel’s curveball already, you probably will be after seeing these GIFs from Wednesday night.
Another strikeout and a stroll for @jamesmarvel12
He matches a career high with 9⃣ punch outs and a Double-A best 7.2 innings pitched
7.2 IP | 4 H | 1 R | 0 BB | 9 SO#FullSteamAhead
and
The strikeout pitch is so nasty that @jamesmarvel12 has to check the cleats to make sure he didn't step in any of it.
That's 7⃣ whiffs for Marvel through six, one-run innings.#FullSteamAhead
and
Easy. Breezy.
1-2-3 first for James Marvel with a pair of strikeouts. pic.twitter.com/8ymBveVYTJ
— Altoona Curve (@AltoonaCurve) June 19, 2019
RECENT TRANSACTIONS
6/20: Hunter Owen promoted to Indianapolis.
6/20: Lolo Sanchez and Rodolfo Castro promoted to Bradenton. Scooter Hightower assigned to Bradenton.
6/20: Chris Sharpe promoted to Altoona. Kyle Mottice promoted to Greensboro.
6/19: Pirates sign Jase Bowen and Ryan Harbin
6/19: Trevor Williams activated from injured list. Mitch Keller optioned to Indianapolis.
6/19: Hai-Cheng Gong and Yandy Vega assigned to Bristol. Emilson Rosado, Norkis Marcos, Nick Garland and Yoyner Fajardo assigned to GCL Pirates.
6/19: Daniel Amaral and Ryan Valdes placed on Bradenton injured list.
6/19: Jake Elmore placed on Indianapolis injured list.
6/18: Blake Weiman promoted to Indianapolis. Brandon Waddell sent to Altoona.
6/18: JT Brubaker and Brandon Maurer assigned to Morgantown on rehab.
6/18: Chris Stratton activated from injured list. Yefry Ramirez optioned to Indianapolis.
6/17: Pirates sign Matt Eardensohn.
6/17: Pirates sign Kaleb Foster.
6/17: Pirates sign four draft picks.
6/17: Raul Siri added to Bradenton roster.
6/16: Pirates recall Yefry Ramirez. Option Dario Agrazal to Indianapolis.
6/16: Rookie Davis sent to Indianapolis on rehab.
6/15: Pirates sign Darnell Sweeney.
6/15: Pirates add Dario Agrazal to 40-man roster and active roster. Dovydas Neverauskas optioned to Indianapolis. Keone Kela moved to 60-day injured list.
6/14: Pirates sign Sammy Siani and Ernny Ordonez
6/13: Pirates sign eight more draft picks.
6/13: Robbie Glendinning promoted to Altoona. Logan Hill promoted to Indianapolis
6/13: Indianapolis placed Ke’Bryan Hayes and Pablo Reyes on the injured list.
6/13: Pirates trade Nick Kingham to Toronto Blue Jays for cash considerations.
6/12: Pirates sign eight draft picks.
6/12: Pirates recall Mitch Keller. Montana DuRapau optioned to Indianapolis.
6/11: Pirates sign six draft picks.
6/11: Dovydas Neverauskas recalled from Indianapolis. Alex McRae optioned to Indianapolis
6/11: Cody Bolton activated from injured list. Hunter Stratton added from Extended Spring Training. Dean Lockery and Matt Morrow assigned to Extended ST.
6/11: Kyle Mottice assigned to Extended Spring Training
6/11: Chris Stratton assigned to Indianapolis on rehab
THIS DATE IN PIRATES HISTORY
Two former Pittsburgh Pirates players born on this date, plus one game of note. The players are 1B/RF Garrett Jones and 1923 infielder Spencer Adams. Jones played five years for the Pirates, hitting .256/.318/.462 in 677 games, with exactly 100 homers. Adams spent four years in the majors, playing one year each with four different teams. With the Pirates as a rookie, he had a .608 OPS in 25 games, splitting his time between second base and shortstop.
On this date in 1888, the Pittsburgh Pirates (then know as Alleghenys) were no-hit for the first time in franchise history. It was a six inning game, called due to rain. Pittsburgh lost 1-0 and reached base twice in the game, once by error and once on a walk. The opposing pitcher for the Chicago White Stockings was George Van Haltren, who has a connection to the Pirates. He played for Pittsburgh in 1892 and 1893, and by that time he was an outfielder. He hit .338 during that second season. Van Haltren won 40 games as a pitcher, but made his name as a hitter and he is one of the best players not in the Hall of Fame. He hit .316 career in 1,990 games and scored 1,642 runs, while stealing 587 bases. He is also fourth all-time in outfield assists.
