Pittsburgh Pirates 2021 Previews: RHP Blake Weiman
When you think of Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitching prospects, there are a few names that come to mind. Some of those names include Blake Cederlind, Braeden Ogle, and Matt Eckelman are just some of the names that come to mind. However, one Pirates relief prospect is trying to make a name for himself this season and breakthrough at the Big League level. 25-year-old Blake Weiman made the climb from short-season ball to Triple-A Indianapolis in just three seasons. He had success at almost every level, but his momentum was put on hold during the 2020 Minor League season cancellation. Now, he is looking to get back on track and show that he can continue his upward progression.
Weiman spent the 2019 season split between Double-A Altoona and Triple-A Indianapolis. He made 24 combined appearances between the two clubs and ended up going 1-3 with a 2.90 ERA over 24 relief appearances. He lives on his pinpoint control and his high strikeout rate. He set down 34 batters over 31 innings of work while walking just eight. However, he also hit the first struggles of his professional career when he had a 4.63 ERA over 11.1 innings of work. He worked at the Pirates alternate training site last season, but it isn't the same as pitching to live batters. Weiman is looking to show that he can have success in Triple-A in 2021 and hopefully make the jump to the Major Leagues late in the season.
A Quick Rise To The Top
As a 2017 eighth-round draft pick out of Kansas, Blake Weiman was always one of the older prospects in the Pirates system. He was drafted at 21-years-old and was sent to Short-Season West Virginia to kick off his career. After spending a year with the Black Bears, Weiman really kicked his career into high gear when he traversed three levels of the Minor Leagues during the 2018 season. He finished with two appearances at Double-A Altoona, and he didn't allow a run in his first 6.2 innings of work. The showing was enough to keep him with the Curve in 2019, working as a middle reliever for the team, bridging the gap between the starters and the back-end of the bullpen.
Weiman picked up right where he left off as a member of the Altoona Curve bullpen. He did not allow a run over his first six outings and was pinpoint with his control, walking just one batter. During that time, he also got his strikeout pitch going as he set down 11 batters over 8.1 innings of work. His only hiccup came in his outing on May 14th, when he was charged with four earned runs over 0.2 innings of work. Those would be the only four runs he gave up all year at Double-A Altoona as he rattled off nine consecutive scoreless outings before getting the call to Triple-A on June 19th, 2019. The Pirates were hoping that at 23-years-old Weiman could quickly make his way through Triple-A and make an impact on the Big League Club.
However, when Weiman got to Triple-A, things didn't go as smoothly as they had in the past. After a scoreless outing in his Triple-A debut, he started getting hit around by opposing hitters. The home run ball would be his downfall as he allowed three home runs in 11 innings of work. He never gave up more than one earned run in any outing, but he gave up that one earned run in six of his final seven outings of the season. He worked at the Pirates alternate site last season but never was able to get the call to the Big League level. Now, he is trying to show that he can be a reliable reliever and make an impact on the Big League's bullpen.
Making The Jump To The Major Leagues
The key to Blake Weiman's success in 2021 is going to be his ability to conquer Triple-A ball. A true pitcher is defined by his ability to bounce back, and Weiman will have the chance to do that this year. He has a high-strikeout rate and a mid-90s fastball helps him miss a lot of bats. He had success at every other level of the Minor Leagues, so he should be able to bounce back nicely in 2021. The secret to his success has been his control throughout his career, and that is what he is looking to get back to in 2021. He ended up walking four batters in his 11 innings at Triple-A and is looking to lower that in 2021.
While his fastball comes in at a nice 95 mph, but where he gets in trouble is when he leaves it up in the zone. In his short stint in Triple-A Indianapolis, he had a flyball rate of 55.6%. The high fastball can be a useful tool for a pitcher, but it is when he starts getting hit up in the zone that it can hurt him. As Weiman starts to face more advanced hitters, he is going to have to be careful where he puts it, and use his breaking pitches to change the hitter's eye level. Right now, that breaking ball is a slider that he goes down in the zone with and it has a future grade of 55. If he can master being able to mix up these two pitches, it could turn into a dominant 1-2 punch.
Weiman will once again start the season with Triple-A Indianapolis where he will get a chance to right his wrongs from 2019. He will work as a mid-reliever for the Indians along with a slew of other relievers for the Pirates. If Weiman can show that he is able to have the success he did in the lower levels of the Minor Leagues, he has a chance to impact the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2021. You never know how much pitching depth you are going to need throughout the year, and Weiman could be one of the guys the Pirates turn to. It has been a quick climb through the Minor Leagues, and Weiman is trying to end it with a call to the Major Leagues.
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