2012 Pittsburgh Pirates Top 16 Prospects

Posted on February 22, 2012 by Jonathan C. Mitchell

The Pittsburgh Pirates spent just over $17M in last year’s draft to make sure they helped stock a farm system that has improved dramatically over the past few seasons.

Below are my top 16 prospects with 2012 opening day age, position, and comments on each player. Below the top 16 is a small list of additional notable names. Enjoy.

	Player	Comments
1	Gerrit Cole (21-RHP)	The #1 overall pick in the 2011 draft is armed with a 4-seam fastball that sits 94-97 and can touch 100 mph when he reaches back for something extra. He has a plus slider and a change-up that flashes plus. He needs to be more consistent and work on his command but he is only about a year away from MLB ready and could be a September call-up. He has true #1 potential and the frame to hold up to a 200 inning workload.
2	Jameson Taillon (20-RHP)	Taillon has been babied so far in pro ball throwing only 92.2 innings or about 4 innings per start with out using much more than his fastball. He has #1 potential with a 4-seamer that sits 93-96 and can touch the upper-90s and a breaking ball that has plus potential but he needs to throw them more in order to reach his ceiling. Taillon has a workhorse frame and above-average control but, again, needs to pitch more to gain more command and consistency.
3	Josh Bell (19-OF)	The Pirates 2nd pick in the 2011 draft was called the best offensive high school player in the draft by some. He has power to all fields and projects to have a well above-average hit tool although we need to see him in pro ball to get a better idea of his discipline and approach. He has the speed to be above-average in a corner spot but might lack the arm for RF and LF might be his best spot. But for a potential .300 hitter with 25+ HR ability you can live with that.
4	Robbie Grossman (22-OF)	When I read about him last year and saw his stats I thought the Pirates might have a decent prospect here. And after seeing him play I knew they had a potential All-Star here. Grossman works the count and his approach is beyond his years. He has the potential for 15 HR and 25-30 SB with high OBP and a decent AVG if he can cut the strikeouts down a bit. He plays a little above his tools and some doubt he can stay in CF but he has the instincts and arm for the position and he will have to be forced off the position. As a 21 year old he walked 104 times in 134 games. Just think about that for a min.
5	Starling Marte (23-OF)	I am not as high on him as others but he is still has All-Star potential due to his ability to play an above-average CF and his plus speed and hit tool. He is still very raw overall for a player who turns 24 later in 2012 and needs to refine his game before making the jump to the Majors where pitchers will exploit the holes in his game with ease. He has a mere 44 unintentional walks in over 1100 PAs in American pro ball. His ceiling is higher than Grossman’s but his probability is much lower.
6	Luis Heredia (17-RHP)	Don’t look at his stats, they don’t tell you anything. He should be in high school but is playing pro ball. The upside is of an ace and he is armed with low-to-mid-90s fastball that has reportedly hit the upper 90s and a frame to eat innings. He has a developing change and breaking ball but well below-average command and control at this point. The upside comes with a low probability since he is so unpolished and so many similar prospects have been long forgotten.
7	Kyle McPherson (24-RHP)	McPherson’s frame, low-90s fastball that can hit 94, plus change, and average curveball all remind me of another late round draft pick named James Shields who scouts were a little down on. That comp may be unfair and I am not saying McPherson has Shields’ ceiling but the above-average polish, control, frame, and repertoire are all reminiscent of Shields. He has #3 potential and could be ready to eat innings by 2013.
8	Tony Sanchez (23-C)	In my opinion, he has bounced back just fine after suffering a broken jaw from a HBP in 2010. That’s the kind of thing that not only sets you back because you cannot play but it sets you back mentally. He kept his same approach and walked in 10% of his PAs and played great defense behind the plate. The bat is still in question and 2012 will be a telling year for what his future holds.
9	Nick Kingham (20-RHP)	Great frame to go with an above-average fastball and change-up. His change-up has the potential to be plus and he also has above-average control. Has #3 starter potential if he improves his breaking ball.
10	Stetson Allie (21-RHP)	He is hard to rank for me. Big fastball and decent frame but looks all reliever to me. Has time to refine his command and secondary offerings but his path to the Majors looks like that of a potential high-leverage reliever.
11	Jeff Locke (24-LHP)	Locke carries a 3-pitch repertoire of average offerings that, on good days, all are above-average. He is as close to ready as any pitcher in the system and could be a solid #4-5 starter working 175+ innings a year.
12	Alex Dickerson (21-1B)	Uses the entire field and hits line drives but he is limited to 1B and I’m not so sure he can even be average there with the glove. He has some raw power that must show up in games if he wants to advance as a prospect. Also needs to cut down the strikeouts.
13	Alen Hanson (19-SS)	If you like speed and the ability to stick at SS then Hanson is your guy. He has line-drive stroke but has some contact issues but is not afraid to work a count and walked in 8.4% of his PAs so far as a teenager. I think he has the potential to sneak up on people and climb up a few boards with a nice 2012 in the NYPL.
14	Colton Cain (21-LHP)	Can has three average pitches to go with a frame that is suited for eating innings. If he can prove that the back problems are behind him and that he can improve his command and control he could be a #4 starter.
15	Rudy Owens (24-LHP)	His stuff and repertoire are similar to Locke and he has a little more size but he lacks the command of Locke and looks to be more of a #5 starter or swingman. There is still a chance he regains some command and makes it as a 4th starter, though.
16	Bryan Morris (25-RHP)	A full-time move to the pen was the right move as he saw his fastball velocity tick up and he can now focus on his fastball/breaking ball combo that can induce a lot of groundballs. Could be in the Pirates’ pen by mid-year.

A few more names to watch: Zack Dodson (LHP), Jarek Cunningham (2B), Jose Osuna (1B/OF)

-Jonathan C. Mitchell can be found writing about the Tampa Bay Rays at DRaysBay and the Florida Marlins at ESPN’s SweetSpot site Marlins Daily. You can follow him on twitter at @FigureFilbert. Be sure to follow MLBdirt at @MLBdirt

Filed under: On the Farm - Prospects Tagged: | 2012 Top Prospects, Alen Hanson, Alex Dickerson, Bryan Morris, Colton Cain, Gerrit Cole, Jameson Taillon, Jarek Cunningham, Jeff Locke, Jose Osuna, Josh Bell, Kyle McPherson, Luis Heredia, Nick Kingham, Pittsburgh Pirates, Prospects, Robbie Grossman, Rudy Owens, Starling Marte, Stetson Allie, Tony Sanchez, Zack Dodson

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