The Pirates have four players in MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 and six pitchers in their organizational Top 30 prospects.
MLB Pipeline continues to unveil its updated top 30 prospect lists for each organization, continuing with the Pittsburgh Pirates and the entire NL Central on Tuesday.
Star right-hander Bubba Chandler leads the way and is expected to arrive in the big leagues later this summer. Chandler struck out 148 batters, compared to 41 walks, through 119.2 innings in the minors last year.
2024 first-round pick shortstop/center fielder Konnor Griffin ranks second after hitting a solo home run against the Baltimore Orioles at LECOM Park this weekend.
How do the @Pirates follow up a rookie class that included Paul Skenes and Jared Jones?
With a group of arms led by Bubba Chandler, Thomas Harrington and Braxton Ashcraft and a talented crop of position players.
Here’s the Bucs’ Top 30: https://t.co/cVivcr5BBF pic.twitter.com/OO4kLqiAVq
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) March 4, 2025
Right-handed starter Thomas Harrington, who could also arrive in 2025, earned a 2.61 ERA, .220 opponent batting average, and 0.96 WHIP in 22 games (21 starts) between Double-A Altoona and Triple-A Indianapolis. Harrington and Chandler are both expected to begin the year in Indy and are poised to help Paul Skenes, Jared Jones, Mitch Keller, and others in the big league rotation.
The No. 4 overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft, Johnson has struggled at the plate after being regarded as the best prep hitter in his class. The 20-year-old lefty is a career .239 hitter in the minors with 34 home runs and 119 RBIs in 252 career games. Johnson finished 2024 in Altoona, slashing .229/.316/.396, plus a .712 OPS in 14 games following a promotion from High-A Greensboro, hitting .238 with 13 homers and 105 strikeouts.
Chandler ranks No. 15 in baseball on MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 list, followed by Griffin (No. 43), Harrington (79), and Johnson (82).
Nick Yorke rounds out the top five. Yorke made his MLB debut on August 11 after being traded to the Bucs for righty Quinn Priester. Yorke, 22, hit two home runs and drove in five through 11 games last year.
Six of the top 10 prospects are pitchers, including 2022 second-round lefty Hunter Barco. Barco continues to climb the ranks and reached Altoona after striking out 77 batters in 62 innings with Greensboro.
Other recognizable prospects in the top 30 include LHP Anthony Solometo dropping from No. 7 to No. 14, RHP Mike Burrows (No. 15), 1B/OF Billy Cook (No. 17), and top 2025 international free agent Johan De Los Santos (No. 27). Former 2021 second-round pick Lonnie White is not ranked in the top 30 after being slotted No. 19 during last year’s MLB Pipeline list.
Pirates Top 10 Prospects:
- RHP Bubba Chandler – ETA 2025
- SS/OF Konnor Griffin – ETA 2028
- RHP Thomas Harrington – ETA 2025
- 2B/SS Termarr Johnson – ETA 2026
- 2B/OF Nick Yorke – ETA 2025
- RHP Braxton Ashcraft – ETA 2025
- LHP Hunter Barco – ETA 2026
- SS Wyatt Sanford – ETA 2028
- RHP Levi Sterling – ETA 2028
- RHP Zander Mueth – ETA 2027