With no minor league action on Monday, today’s Prospect Watch will break down the best performers over the last week, led by another excellent start from a surging Bubba Chandler.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
BUBBA CHANDLER, RHP, GREENSBORO
Bubba Chandler has been impressive in the second half of his first full season as a pitcher. The 2021 third rounder pitched five innings this past week, allowing one run on four hits and two walks, striking out four. In the second half, he’s posted a 1.85 ERA in 43.2 innings of work, with a 43:13 K/BB ratio. I wrote about Chandler recently, and the way he’s focused on putting up head-turning results in the second half. He continues to do that through the end of the season.
LAST WEEK’S BEST
CAM ALLDRED, LHP, INDIANAPOLIS
Alldred allowed two runs, one earned, in nine innings last week. That was spread across two appearances, with the lefty working in a starting role. He allowed one run in five innings in his first start, followed by one unearned run in four innings in his second start. With the Pirates using so many bullpen arms in the majors, Alldred could get another shot at the big leagues before the season is finished.
CARTER BINS, C, ALTOONA
Bins has caught Paul Skenes in both of his starts. Bins homered during the most recent start, one of two from the catcher this past week. Bins went 5-for-15 in total, showing some offense to go with his plus defensive and receiving abilities.
THOMAS HARRINGTON, RHP, GREENSBORO
The Pirates drafted Harrington with the 36th overall pick last year. He went six innings last week, allowing one unearned run on three hits. He walked three and struck out five. Harrington has a 3.92 ERA in 80.1 innings, with a 94:25 K/BB in Greensboro during his first pro season.
HUDSON HEAD, OF, GREENSBORO
Head returned to Greensboro this week, going 5-for-12 with two doubles. The outfielder has been out of action since May. He was one of the prospects acquired in the Joe Musgrove deal that brought David Bednar and Endy Rodriguez into the organization.
JASE BOWEN, OF, GREENSBORO
Bowen continued his impressive season at the plate, going 6-for-17 with two doubles and a home run. The 2019 11th round over-slot pick is batting .259/.335/.472 in 490 plate appearances this year, showing speed on the bases (24 steals in 29 attempts) and good defensive abilities in center field.
HUNTER BARCO, LHP, BRADENTON
Barco pitched four shutout innings in game one of a double-header, allowing one hit, no walks, and striking out seven. This is the best outing for the 2022 second rounder, who is returning from Tommy John surgery that he had prior to the draft.
WILBER DOTEL, RHP, BRADENTON
Dotel followed Barco with one run allowed in five innings. He gave up two hits and one walk, while striking out six. Dotel has a 2.89 ERA in 74.2 innings this year. He was signed out of the Dominican in October 2020 as an 18-year-old.
LONNIE WHITE JR., CF, BRADENTON
White went 5-for-15 this week, with three doubles and a home run. The outfielder is in his first full healthy season of pro ball, batting .262/.403/.497 with seven homers in 176 plate appearances. He was an over-slot signing in 2021.
MITCH JEBB, SS, BRADENTON
Jebb went 6-for-13 last week in Bradenton, adding two doubles and a stolen base. The Pirates’ 2023 second rounder has shown the ability to rack up a lot of hits in a short amount of time. He could help push Bradenton to the post-season this week.
CARLOS CARO, INF, DSL PIRATES GOLD
The DSL Pirates Gold team wrapped up their impressive season this week with an elimination in the DSL Finals. Carlos Caro, an 18-year-old infielder in his first professional season, batted .400/.455/.700 with three doubles and a homer over the last week. Caro mostly played for the DSL Pirates Black squad this year, batting .310/.440/.504 with five homers in 159 plate appearances across the two teams.
+ postsTim is the owner, producer, editor, and lead writer of PiratesProspects.com. He has been running Pirates Prospects since 2009, becoming the first new media reporter and outlet covering the Pirates at the MLB level in 2011 and 2012. His work can also be found in Baseball America, where he has been a contributor since 2014 and the Pirates' correspondent since 2019.
Yohan claimed by the White Sox. Cole Tucker back up with the Rockies and Liover and Endy a game away from losing prospect status.
I really like the next two waves of starting pitching prospects. The ceiling is pretty high with Jones/Skenes/Solomento next year and Chandler/Kennedy/Barco after that.
I really liked the Bowen pick (I tend to like two-sport stars, and he’s not the only one featured here). I’ve been a little disappointed that four years later he hasn’t gotten out of A ball yet, but it seems to be working and of course there was that lost year right after he was drafted.
Chandler>Jones>Solomento
Skenes>Everyone not named Nolan Ryan!!!
I just saw that the Pirates have shelved Skenes for the rest of the season. This after Brown was hyping Thursday’s game against Harrisburg and Crews. Don’t they care about ticket sales in Altoona?
Did you see the dumbfounded look Skenes gave Walk when Walk asked if he had been a Nolan Ryan fan? (They were talking about Skenes having grown up rooting for the Angels as had Walk.) Skenes did bail Walk out, though, later saying that he watched a lot of video of Ryan and patterned his game after him (and maybe Walk knew that but it seemed like Walk had lost track of time, which come to think of it I’ve been guilty of too :)).
Brown got a great line in then, saying as they headed for the commercial break that when they returned they would ask Walk if he grew up a Walter Johnson fan.
Brown is getting tiresome in his constant analysis of every play and making decisions that he shouldn’t possibly be making. He wasn’t even paying close attention to the replay calls that the Pirates won in a recent game. It was clear that Andujar’s heal hit the bag first, but Brown kept insisting that the Pirates were given a gift. Sometimes he should just let the pictures be and let us have our own opinions.
I can watch all of the games on Amazon prime and a lot of times I have to listen to the opposing teams announcers. I love Brownie, but sometimes he is just a bit too much.
I think there’s a type in Bowen’s 6-for-176.
Leave it to me to have a typo in the word typo lol
Bowen battled through A LOT of adversity to get those six hits.
saw the Chandler start in Greensboro.
Impressive.
I am Groot.