Baseball America has released its list of the Pirates top ten prospects and the first couple names on the list are no surprise.
21-year-old, right-hander Paul Skenes, out of LSU, was the first overall pick of the 2023 draft and is the top prospect for the Bucs.
Many are hoping Skenes will make the trip north with the Pirates after Spring Training, though it seems more likely, at this point, that he’ll arrive mid-season.
Skenes only pitches 6.2 innings in the Pirates farm system last season, making one start in the Florida Complex League, two a Low-A Bradenton and two with Double-A Altoona.
He posted a 5.40 ERA over his short stint with 10 strikeouts, two walks and gave up four earned runs.
RHP Bubba Chandler is second on the list.
He was drafted in the third-round of the 2021 draft out of high school in Georgia.
He went 9-4 with High-A Greensboro with a 4.75 ERA over 24 starts.
He pitched one game with Altoona and struck out eight over five innings.
Another pitcher comes third on the list.
RHP Jared Jones appeared in 10 games for Altoona and 16 for Triple-A Indianapolis.
He was 5-9 last season with a 3.85 ERA over 25 starts. He had 146 strike outs over 126.1 innings pitched.
Lefty Anthony Solometo, taken in the second round of the 2021 draft is fourth.
He pitched at Greensboro and Altoona last season splitting 24 starts.
He went 4-7 with a 3.26 ERA and had 118 strike outs over 110.1 innings.
19-year-old infielder Termarr Johnson is 5th.
Hew as the team’s first pick in the 2022 draft, taken fourth overall.
He played for both Bradenton and Greensboro last season with a .244 average.
He had 18 home runs, 59 RBI and 10 stolen bases over 105 games.
The Pirates first pick in the 2019 draft, Quinn Priester is sixth.
The RHP went 3-3 with the Pirates last season with a 7.74 ERA is started eight out of 10 games, giving up 43 earned runs, 12 home runs and 27 walks. He struck out 36.
22-year-old Tom Harrington out of Campbell University is seventh on the Pirates top 10.
The RHP was taken in the first round of the 2022 draft, 36th overall.
Harington made 18 starts at Greensboro and eight starts in Bradenton.
He went 7-6 overall with a 3.53 ERA over 26 starts.
He has 146 strikeouts over 127.1 innings pitched.
Infielder Nick Gonzales is eight. He made his debut for the Pirates in 2024, playing in 35 games. He batted .209 with 13 RBI, two home runs and 24 hits. He struck out 36 times over 115 at bats.
Infielder Tsung-Che Cheng is ninth on the list.
The 22-year-old out of Taiwan.
Cheng played in 123 games for Greensboro and Altoona last season.
He hit .278 with 128 hits over 461 at bats. He had 13 home runs with 56 RBI, walked 52 times and struck out 100.
Rounding out the Pirates top 10 list is another pitcher. 24-year-old Braxton Ashcraft has been in the Pirates farm system since 2018 when he was taken in the second-round of the draft.
He is 2-14 over his career with a 4.44 ERA.
He went 0-3 last year but posted a 2.39 ERA over 19 starts with Bradenton, Greensboro and Altoona.
He did deal with injury in 2023.