Four Pirates land on MLB Pipeline's Top 100

MLB Pipeline has updated the Pirates top 30 prospects heading into the 2023 season.

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Leading the way for the Bucs is second baseman Termarr Johnson, who was taken 4th overall in last year’s draft.

Johnson is the 26^th overall prospect in all of baseball, according to the Pipeline.

Currently with Low-A Bradenton, Johnson has an ETA to the Majors in 2025.

Following him is outfielder, infielder and catcher Endy Rodriguez. He was acquired by the Pirates in the three-way trade with the Padres and Mets for Joe Musgrove. The Pirates also got All-Star closer David Bednar in that 2021 deal.

Currently at Triple-A Indianapolis, Rodriguez is expected to make it MLB debut sometime this season. Rodriguez is 55^th overall in the top 100.

Third is 2021 first overall pick, catcher Henry Davis, currently with Double-A Altoona. He is ranked 57th overall on the MLB list.

Davis had been dealing with injuries his first full year in the minors.

At fourth is the Pirates first pitcher on the list, Quinn Priester.

The 22-year-old was taken first by the Pirates in the 2019 draft (18^th overall).

60^th on the overall list, the right-handed pitcher has an ETA of 2023.

Those four prospects are the only names for the Pirates on the MLB Top 100.

Rounding out the top five is middle infielder Nick Gonzales. Currently at Double-A, Gonzales is expected to make his debut sometime this coming season.

MLB Pipeline also looks at the player who made the biggest jump on the list as well as who fell the most between the 2021 and 2022 preseason list.

Biggest jump, right-handed pitcher Luis Ortiz who is 8^th this year and wasn’t ranked on the last one.

Ortiz’s velocity has steadily climbed over the past two years and he was touching triple digits during his big league debut last year. That, plus a change in seam orientation, has let his heater play up. Pirates fans should get to see it and his plus slider for extended viewing in Pittsburgh this season.

Biggest fall, outfielder Matt Frazier who went from 10^th to 23^rd:

It’s been a bit of a roller coaster for Fraizer, who was our biggest jump a year ago after what seemed like a breakout 2021 season. The toolsy outfielder lost his approach at the upper levels in 2022, with a regression in swing mechanics really hurting his ability to impact the ball.

See the entire top 30 list here.