The rosters for the upcoming World Baseball Classic were released on Thursday, and the Pittsburgh Pirates were decently represented, both at the major, and minor league level.
Most of the bigger names throughout the system will be sitting this out, but the likes of David Bednar and Roansy Contreras will represent their respective countries in the tournament.
There are a couple of prospects of note playing as well, and while it’s not any of your top ranked ones, there are still a couple of noteworthy names to watch in the tournament should you decide to turn in.
Alessandro Ercolani
It’s a little hard to project what the Bradenton rotation may look like in 2023, but it’s a safe bet Ercolani could be a member after mowing through the FCL last season. In ten appearances (eight starts), the righty from Italy posted a 1.19 ERA, while striking out 39 batters in 30.1 innings pitched.
He doesn’t turn 19 until April, and this could end up being one of the more extended looks most have gotten from him. Some of the little bit available is from this outing in an Under-18 tournament he pitched in last year.
Antwone Kelly
Another player from the complex league, Kelly pitched mostly out of relief. While Ercolani has a more projectable frame, Kelly stands at just 5 ’10, but that doesn’t keep him from throwing in the mid-90s.
There’s a lot of mystery out of the potential Bradenton squad this year, with a lot of names who are all projection right now. Getting some experience against some tough competition, should he pitch in games, can help him build towards a strong full season debut.
Tsung-Che Cheng
Cheng was one of the best lead-off hitters in the system last season, showing a great approach at the plate, and he stole 33 bases. He also played very strong defense at shortstop last year.
He didn’t hit for much power, and didn’t post very flattering exit velocity numbers, but he picked up 25 doubles, with a very strong 23.9% line drive rate in Bradenton during the 2022 season.
Look at that hustle! Tsung-Che Cheng ends up on third during his first at bat of the season. Official score was a double and an error #LetsGoBucs pic.twitter.com/vFZtTMKKkM
— Anthony Murphy (@__Murphy88) April 13, 2022
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