Robbie Glenndinning/ Beau Sulser Highlight Pirates Australian Winter League Prospects

Every year, hundreds of players travel the world to play in Winter Baseball leagues as they hone their skills on the diamond. Several Pirates prospects are over in the Australian Baseball League, headlined by Robbie Glendinning and Beau Sulser.

Every year, hundreds of prospects around the league head to the foreign winter ball leagues to sharpen their skills. However, when you think of Winter Ball, most fans are only familiar with the Dominican Republic or Arizona Fall League. For the Pirates, they have prospects playing around the world, and a big showing of those prospects are in the Australian Baseball League. The league was founded in 2009 and has housed several future Major League prospects including Aaron Whitfield, Peter Moylan, and Grant Balfour. Currently, there are four different Pirates prospects playing over in Australia, headlined by infielder Robbie Glendinning and pitcher Beau Susler.

Just like back here in the USA, these players also have to deal with Coronavirus restrictions and are trying to find ways to get games in. With the cancellation of the Minor League season in 2020, it is a way for these players to catch up on some much-needed work. For some, it is to impress scouts of the Pirates and other teams alike, while for others it is just a chance to continue their development. With the Pirates rebuilding, these prospects are the future of the Pirates and to see them perform well is a step in the right direction for the organization. Today, we check on these player's progress as they battle through Winter Ball in hopes of returning to the Minor Leagues in 2021.

IF: Robbie Glendinning (Perth Heat)

With the Australian Baseball League facing some travel restrictions due to COVID-19, some teams have yet to play their first games. That is the case for Robbie Glendinning and the Perth Heat. They were scheduled to play their season opener against Canberra, but late travel restrictions haunted that game. Instead, Perth took on Brisbane in an exhibition game, and Glendinning had a huge day at the plate. He started at second base and went 2-4 with a double, home run, and three RBI. Glendinning is an Australian Baseball League veteran, having played there in each of the last four seasons, and a strong debuted showed that he carried some of his momentum from 2019.

His home run came in a late-game situation as Glendinning came to the plate with one on and one out, and his team-leading 7-1 in the bottom of the eighth. He launched a 1-0 fastball way over the left-field wall and extended Perth's lead to 9-1. He also added an RBI double earlier in the game to help his team her out to that early lead. Glendinning really broke out of his offensive shell in 2019, hitting .298 with 13 home runs and 57 RBI. It was the first time Glendinning really showed any power, and there were worries that it was only a fluke. However, for Glendinning to come out to a performance like that in his Winter League debut, there are some signs that the power is here to stay.

RHP Beau Susler: Perth Heat

Another member of the Pittsburgh Pirates organization teaming up with Robbie Glendinning is pitcher Beau Susler. Susler is one of those pitchers who has held just about every role on the field. However, for his Winter Ball debut, he was the starting pitcher for the Perth Heat against Brisbane in their exhibition game. Susler only lasted two innings but put in some good work allowing an earned run on one hit while walking one and striking out one. Susler got a lot of help from his offense, including Glendinning's early RBI Double and he helped the Perth easily cruise to victory. Throughout his Minor League career, Susler has been a one to two-inning guy, so it was nice to see him put in a solid performance.

For Susler, the Australian Baseball League is a chance to make up for lost innings due to the 2020 Minor League cancellation. Susler was not one of the pitchers at the Pirates alternate training site, and therefore had to spend his winter working at home. He had an impressive 2019 campaign with the Altoona Curve, going 8-3 with a 2.72 ERA in 33 games, six starts. While he doesn't strike out a ton of batters and doesn't walk many either, one of the things he is known for is generating soft contact. In 2019, opponents hit just .241 against him and hit just .205 the year before. Susler will most likely get the call to Triple-A Indianapolis in 2021 where he will serve as a middle-reliever/spot starter.

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