Positive Outlook Coming From The Minor Leagues
Taking a look at where the Pittsburgh Pirates stand right now, things don't look so good for the team. They are 27-46 on the season and currently sit in last place in the National League Central by a pretty good margin, sitting eight games behind the fourth-place Cardinals and 14 games back from the division-leading Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers. Because of this, the Pirates are in a rebuilding mode as they look to dump current Big League stars and retool their Minor League system from the ground up. They have done this several times since I was born, with the only winning seasons I have experience being between 2013 and 2025. So, why should this rebuild be any different you ask? The answer is in the Minor Leagues as all four teams are having success.
Entering play on Friday night, each of the Pirates Minor League teams had winning records. What this is showing us that a winning culture is being established throughout the organization and these young guys are learning how to win together right from the start of their careers. The best record of the four teams comes from Low-A Bradenton, who sits at 29-15 through 44 games played, and all four teams have already reached the 20-win mark this season. While it is yet to be seen whether or not any of this success translates to the Big League level, it is a positive sign of change in an organization tooled for the future. Today, we take a look at all four teams, and the key players fueling them to success this season.
Indianapolis Indians (24-20)
Out of the four Pirates Minor League teams, the Indianapolis Indians have been the hottest as of late. Since June 12th, the team is 8-3 and has scored five runs or more in eight of the 11 games during that stint. The offense has powered the Indians this season, as they are averaging 4.4 runs per game. Under manager Brian Esposito, they currently sit in second place in the Triple-A Midwest League and are 7.0 games back of first place. The biggest turnaround this season for the Indians has been from their pitching staff, led by Joel Hanrahan. In 2019, before Hanrahan, Indianapolis has a team ERA of 4.82. This season, that number has dropped by 82 points already to 4.00 as Hanrahan's pitchers are going on the philosophy of attacking the strike zone.
Leading the way so far this season for Indianapolis has been two 26-year-olds looking to make their way back to the MLB. The first is Anthony Alford, who after a slow start with the Pirates and in the Minor Leagues, is hitting .292 with six home runs, 22 RBI, and an on-base percentage of .449. Pirates fans saw Alford earlier in the year, and it looked like he was completely lost at the plate. However, he has found his timing to the tune of 31 hits and 11 extra-base hits in his 35 games this season. The other hot bat is a guy fans haven't seen yet in Christian Bethancourt. Since being signed as a Minor League Free Agent earlier this year, Bethancourt has gone out and hit .277 with four home runs and 18 RBI. He is the owner of two walk-off hits already this season and has been a big pick-up for Triple-A. The Indian's hitters are impressing so far this season and are trying to get back to the Big Leagues.
Altoona Curve (26-18)
Even though they are the second-best team in the Pirates Minor League system, the Altoona Curve are playing the most competitive ball of anyone. They are 26-18 this season, but it is good for only fourth place in the Double-A Southwest division. They are 1.5 games behind first-place Bowie, as are three other teams in the division. The Curve are probably the most well-rounded of all the Minor League teams with both the offense and pitching clicking on all cylinders. As an offense, the Curve are hitting .255 this season and have been getting it done with the long ball, hitting 47 home runs. The pitching staff has been equally as strong with a team ERA of 3.80.
We always hear about the work that Oneil Cruz is doing, but the real leader for the Curve this season has been Rodolfo Castro. Castro leads the team with a .317 average, nine home runs, and 37 RBI and has a total of 21 extra-base hits in the early going. Another under-the-radar guy who is newer to Double-A is DH Brendt Citta. Citta has adjusted to Double-A nicely hitting .324 with a home run and 18 RBI in his first 31 games played. Cal Mitchell and Canaan Smith-Njigba also have averages of .294 and .270 respectively, powering a solid Curve offense. On the pitching side, the starters are led by Roansy Contreras, who is 3-1 with a 2.00 ERA in eight starts this season, and the bullpen is led by Hunter Stratton (1.96) and Shea Murray (1.56).
Greensboro Grasshoppers (25-20)
The team with the most intrigue for the Pirates Minor League system coming into this season was High-A Greensboro. The team was flooded with top prospects including Nick Gonzales, Liover Peguero, and Quinn Priester. That group has lived up to the hype so far, sitting at 25-20 in the High A Southeast Division. So far, the young ground has lived up to the hype as they have a team average of .239 and are averaging 5.3 runs per game this season. It has been a mixture of the young stars and some unexpected contributors as well. On the mound, the Grasshoppers have the lowest ERA of any of the four affiliate clubs with a 3.65 team ERA.
The offensive leader for the Grasshoppers all season long has been Peguero, who is making up for the lost season last year. In 27 games this season, Peguero has hit .273 with three home runs and 14 RBI. He has cooled down a little bit since his hot start but is still hitting the ball well. One of the guys who has surprised some people this year was infielder Matthew Frazier. In 42 games this season, Frazier has the team's second-highest batting average at .304 with nine home runs and 20 RBI. The team's leading hitter this season is Fabricio Macias at .336 in 36 games. While Priester is having a good year at 3-3 with a 3.44 ERA, the rotation has been led by 2020 draft pick Carmen Mlodzinski. Mlodzinski has made eight starts this season for Greensboro and has a 1.76 ERA with 37 strikeouts in 25.1 innings of work.
Bradenton Marauders (29-15)
The most successful Pirates Minor League affiliate this season has been the Bradenton Marauders. They are currently 29-15 and sit in second place in the Low-A Southeast Division, 1.0 games behind the division leader. While their overall stats aren't great, they are playing together as a team and getting wins. As an offense, they are hitting .239 and have led all other Minor league affiliates averaging 6.3 runs per game. Their pitching hasn't been nearly as strong as the other Minor League affiliates, with a 4.26 ERA, but Bradenton has traditionally been a hitter's paradise.
Leading the offensive charge for Bradenton has been another prospect who hasn't gotten a lot of recognition. Catcher Eli Wilson leads the Marauders with a .365 batting average with two home runs and 18 RBI in 21 games played. With time behind the plate being a valuable thing at Low-A ball, Wilson is showing that he can be a nice option for the Pirates. Another breakout star this year has been outfielder Jase Bowen. Bowen has come out of nowhere this year and hit .265 with a team-high seven home runs and 13 RBI. There are a pair of young right-handers leading the starting rotation in Adrian Florencio and Santiago Florez. Flores has the better stats of the two, going 4-1 with a 1.51 ERA in seven starts, but Florencio is having a similarly strong year going 1-1 with a 2.03 ERA over seven starts.
Bradenton is a young team as well, many teenagers in a league of mostly 21-22 year olds.
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