New Year, New Team: The Young Bucs Looking to Grow the Organization in 2021
The clock has officially turned to 2021, and for Pirates fans, that means hope for a better future. What's done is done, and the Pirates can only go up from here after finishing 2020 with a 19-41 record that had them last in the Major Leagues. 2021 will be a different year for the Pirates, and it is a transformation that has already begun as the Pirates traded first baseman Josh Bell to the Washington Nationals on Christmas Eve. The names will be different in 2021, with more moves to be made, as the team ushers in a new era of baseball as they try to get back to the playoffs.
However, there will be a transitional period as the Pirate's top prospects begin to develop. For some, it will happen faster than others, but the goal is to have everyone ready for a winning run by 2023. We have already seen some of the next generation talents, with guys like Ke'Bryan Hayes and Bryan Reynolds already making their marks known at the Major Leagues. However, there are still several prospects in the wings who are going to be a part of the future of the Pittsburgh Pirates. For Pirates fans, this change can't come soon enough as the Pirates look to climb the ladder from being a last-place team to a team that can once again compete for a spot in the MLB Playoffs.
The Current Stars
Some of the stars of the future for the Pirates are here in Pittsburgh already. The movement for some of them began last year, and we have seen them come up all the way through last season. In 2020, eight different Pirates made their Major League debut, and all of them made contributions to help last year's team. Guys like Ke'Bryan Hayes, Bryan Reynolds, and Mitch Keller represent the future of the Pirates. In an interview shortly after the Bell trade, Keller said "The only thing that matters is winning. So, whatever that looks like, to try to get us there, we are going to do it." Kelley is looked to as the leader of the pitching staff for the future and he started to show that in 2020.
He was only able to make five starts during the 2020 season due to injury but ended up going 1-1 with a 2.91 ERA in just over 21 innings of work. His last two starts were his best of the season, as he allowed just one earned run and not a single hit over his final 11 innings of work. He struck out nine batters but had very little control walking 10 during that stretch. Another prospect who made himself known in 2019 was Bryan Reynolds. Reynolds jumped onto the scene in 2019 and hit .314 with 16 home runs and 68 RBI while finishing fourth in Rookie of the Year voting. Last year was a little struggle for Reynolds as he hit just .189 with seven home runs and 19 RBI. Reynolds has had success at every level he has played at, and I look for him to have another bounce back in 2021.
The final part of the current regime that will be part of the next winning Pirates team is Ke'Bryan Hayes. Hayes has the least Major League experience of any of the players mentioned, but he has had the most success. In 24 games, Hayes hit .376 with five home runs and 11 RBI, including five RBI when runners are in scoring position. He didn't play in enough games to earn Rookie of the Year honors, but he has shown himself as a star of the future. He will more than likely be the teams starting third baseman in 2021, and the Pirates will get to see what Hayes can do for an entire season.
What's Up Next
While some key pieces are here now, there are still several other players in the Minor Leagues who will make an impact. Some will make appearances as early as this season, with others still to come down the line. One of the first of those prospects that the Pirates will see is infielder O'neil Cruz. Cruz has bounced between the infield and outfield and spent 2020 at the Pirates Alternate Training site. Cruz finished 2019 with Double-A Altoona and hit .269 with a home run and 17 RBI. Cruz has shown a little bit of power, hitting double-digit home runs twice over his first five seasons, but is serving more as a contact hitter. He has speed, and the Pirates have been trying him in the outfield with the current influx of middle infielders.
However, there are still some players who are a couple of years away like first baseman Mason Martin. Martin has been one of the premier power hitters in the system and put that power on display in 2019. He played between Low-A and Advanced-A ball and hit .254 with 35 home runs and 129 RBI. He not only led Bradenton and Greensboro in RBI but led the entire Pirates organization, Major Leagues included, in RBI. He should make the jump to Double-A Altoona in 2021 and should be Major League ready by the 2022 or 2023 season. While the offense is looking good for the future, the pitching staff looks to be on the rise as well.
The top two pitching prospects currently in the system are Quinn Priester and Brennan Malone. Malone was acquired in the Starling Marte deal, and has pitched one season in professional baseball and went 1-2 with a 4.50 ERA. He struck out eight batters over eight innings of work and got robbed of advancing to Low-A ball because of the 2020 Minor League shutdown. Priester pitched between rookie ball and Short-Season ball and produced a 3.19 ERA while going 1-1. He showed all the tools of a pro pitcher, walking 14 and striking out 41 in 36.2 innings of work. Priester will most likely pitch for Advanced-A Greensboro in 2021 with a chance to advance to Double-A by season's end. The future may take a while to develop, but the next Pirates prospects, and some of the current players, will pave the past to the playoffs once again.
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