Welcome to the Pirates Prospects daily video rundown, where we pull some of the top videos of the Pittsburgh Pirates across the internet.
Quinn Priester
There was no broadcast of Friday night’s game, so video was limited, but we did catch a glimpse of Quinn Priester warming up before his inning of work. It was his first Spring Training appearance of the year, allowing one hit and one walk.
Priester pitching to Endy #LetsGoBucs @Pirates pic.twitter.com/ntiG6s3fdP
— Greg Rosenthal (@Bucfish67) March 4, 2023
Henry Davis
Stop if you have heard this one before, Henry Davis steps into a batters box and gets hit by a pitch.
Pirates C prospect Henry Davis gets hit with a pitch so he’s in midseason form #ohmygosh #HBP pic.twitter.com/Hc78mNdjYN
— Florida Prospect Report (@FLProspectPod) March 4, 2023
Draft Prospects Shine
The Pittsburgh Pirates hold the first overall pick in the upcoming 2023 draft, meaning they have their choice of any player available. There will be quite a few names that will be in the mix, and three of them put on a show Friday night.
The fairytale ends for Cole Graverson. Dylan Crews nukes an 80 mph fastball over the RCF fence for a 3-run bomb. The margin for error eventually did him in against arguably the best hitter in the country. pic.twitter.com/Znq7fVOBH7
— Joe Doyle (@JoeDoyleMiLB) March 4, 2023
Dylan Crews has been long projected as the potential number one pick in 2023 ever since walking onto campus at LSU. He picked up another home run, and is off to a strong start to the season.
His teammate and Air Force academy transfer Paul Skenes is making a case as the top pitcher available, striking out a career high 13 batters against Butler. He had numerous fastballs to hit triple-digits on the night as well.
Paul Skenes, 100.3mph heater…and K Strut. ⛽️ pic.twitter.com/PtHLPG4hhw
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) March 4, 2023
Wyatt Langford is another name emerging, hitting two home runs on Friday, including this one with a 112 mph exit velocity.
How about a 112 mph scud missile from Wyatt Langford. Out in a HURRY. pic.twitter.com/sLuiyWUnrL
— Joe Doyle (@JoeDoyleMiLB) March 4, 2023
Anthony began writing over 10 years ago, starting a personal blog to cover the 2011 MLB draft, where the Pirates selected first overall. After bouncing around many websites covering hockey, he refocused his attention to baseball, his first love when it comes to sports. He eventually found himself here at Pirates Prospects in late 2021, where he covers the team’s four full season minor league affiliates.
I’ve seen the comments regarding a pitcher first. If the Pirates were a large market, best player pitcher or otherwise would be fine. It’s dreaming. If the Pirates pick a pitcher first, and he becomes an ace, he’ll be gone as a free agent or likely sooner because they will not be able to afford him. If he’s not an ace, he’ll be considered a bust. No pitcher, please.
Wyatt Langford @1/1: power, speed, size, defensive flexibility, hits right-handed
Super pitching prospect Daniel Espino is out arm issues. Andrew Painter is getting an MRI. Asa Lacy from 2020 has the yips. Pitchers scare me. Crews or Lankford please… or Max Clark I guess.
I think we can all agree to win a WS a team needs a TOR SP. Other than Chandler, is there one of those currently in the organization?
Been taking bats every year in 1st round since QP. It’s time to find the next Cole if one’s there.
Ortiz is TOR prospect.
Better chance he’s an All-Star Closer than a TOR SP on a playoff team.
Yea drafting a pitcher with first pick is risky but Paul Skenes is almost to the point where I’m ready to considerate it
Pipeline had a discussion in their podcast a few weeks ago talking about how there are a much higher percentage of TOR pitchers that come from college than the high school ranks. Pitchers will break your heart, but someone like skenes or dollander cements themselves and i think you have to go for it
AM: Did they have a gun at the Orioles field – any velo numbers on our pitchers. Especially interested in Priester, Mlodzinski, and Bolton.
They had nothing, which was disappointing because I’ve been logging all the pitch and exit velo data from prospects in Spring games so missed some pretty big ones that night.
GSAAAM (Good stuff as always, AM).
The only thing worrisome about Crews is will that aluminum bat power translate to wood bats?
Sometimes the power doesn’t translate but I don’t think that’ll be the issue with Crews if they didn’t want to draft him. There has been some mention he does have a swing and miss problem at times (he had 3 or 4 whiffs in Fridays game if I remember right)
I always look at the Conference Stats. The SEC had 4 teams of the 8 in the CWS and finished with 5 teams in the Top 10 of the season ending rankings, so he saw excellent pitching every weekend. His numbers in the SEC in 120 AB were .358/.470/.800/1.270 OPS, 23 BB/29 K’s, and errorless play in CF, but no Assists.
He comes from Lake Mary, Fl and is at LSU – I’ll bet he has been taking BP with wooden bats for probably 5 or 6 years, and the metal bats for most HS and college hitters are drop 3’s, such as 32″/29oz, or 33″/30oz. Much different than when the metal bats were first introduced.
Langford is also an SEC dude.
My wish for the draft is that somebody emerges as the obvious #1 and there is still plenty of time for somebody to do that. It is already disappointing that basically all draft outlets say there is no generational (Harper type) draft prospect which is the real dream when you have the #1 . At least if somebody emerges as the clear #1 (and assuming/hoping Pirates take them) you can’t have as much buyers remorse. Obviously no guarantees that clear #1 is ultimately the best pick, but at least you can say they took the best shot.
btw.. while taking Davis #1 can always be questioned, the other options who were considered by the experts were not considered ‘generational’. Doesn’t mean they won’t be Hall of Famers, but there was not a slam dunk – YOU HAVE TO TAKE THEM – option. Heck, 12 months prior to the draft Rocker was probably looking Generational.
Well, there may be three clear #1s. Somebody better choose well.
Choose well or develop well?
The issue isn’t who they take, but what they do with them afterwards. If we chose first between Crews, Skenes, and Langford, and Dodgers and Cards took other two, who on here believes Pirates guy would end up the better player?
Not me.
Choose well, or get lucky? Too many ‘at the time, they looked great’ picks, who couldn’t make the transition to Pro Ball. Look how ,Amy #1 overall picks who were pedestrian. Ben McDonald was supposed to be ‘generational’.
*How many* not *how Amy*, lol.
Will we ever know who Amy is😏
I lived on Amy Drive once. 😇
Admittedly I am being a PITB(my wife will attest), but by definition are 3 clear #1 s actually possible? If there is not a generational (one possible definition of clear #1 ) talent but 3 players who are considered as possibilities for #1 … then there really is not a clear #1 . And part 2 of your statement, if there are 3 choices – then they better choose wisely is spot on. I want that ‘choice’ gone and have somebody step up as my definition of a clear #1 and make at least the choice a no brainer. I don’t care who it is, but given the candidates I hope somebody obliterates the SEC either pitching or hitting.
If there is no clear cut #1 , I’d love to see them do what they did when drafting Davis. The more TOP prospects that you can snag the better.
Agree.. some of those opposed to that strategy are using the Marcelo Mayer example. But, he went 4th which means he may not have been the automatic ‘next choice’ for the Pirates and it is still WAY to early to be sure he would be better than Davis alone or Davis and others Pirates could then draft. And… Mayer may end up being the best choice. It has been stated here many times, if you are basically betting the #1 pic vs. the field for best long term results, the field is by far the bet to make. That is why I want (and want whenever the Pirates draft) basically a no brainer choice even if over time that does not pan out.
Henry Davis bought us the ticket to ride on Anthony Solometo, Lonnie White, and Bubba Chandler. Chandler alone could have been described as a generational pick if he had declared for the draft instead of committing to Clemson as their next future #1 NFL Drafted QB.
Also in that 2021 draft the #’s 5 and 6 went for $20K combined, which gave us the ability to draft and overpay wild card SP’s Sean Sullivan and Justin Meis, and HS OF Braylon Bishop!
A very strategic draft to say the least.
If you look at the actually numbers Henry Davis going SLIGHTLY below slot got us ONE of those guys. We got another with our normal 2nd round pick and we got another with our competitive balance pick…. and just pooling money from other picks.
From BA, Davis was paid $6.5 mil and slot value was $8.415 mil, so close to $2 mil. We overpaid slot value for Solometo by $800K, and overpaid slot value for White by about $500 K. We overpaid slot value for Chandler by $2.13 mil so close to the remaining $700K came from Davis.
By the numbers we drafted #1 , #37 , #64 , and #72 . By dollars spent we drafted the #5 , #21 , #24 , and #5 0 highest paid players.
Chandler pitched all of 2022 as a 21 year old in the FCL and A. We lost one of the A Level SP’s in the Rule 5, so I would not be surprised to see Chandler at A+ early in 2023 – could have been a reason for dropping the position play and batting.
Sorry for aging Chandler, he pitched all of 2022 as a 20 year old, and will pitch all of 2023 as a 21 year old.
Langford hits a 95 mph pitch out from, presumably, the top SP from a ranked Miami team–advantage Langford. Though I’m also thinking of Skenes as a Cole-like option in a year when there are top hitters but the chance to draft a potential ace is too good to pass up.
It is a conceern that all of Crews offense up to now has been with the aluminum bat. Any time with a wood bat?
I just asked that question without seeing yours, I agree that it is a concern of mine.