Pirates Prospect Quinn Priester Started Career Off Strong
Quinn Priester is the last first round pick of Neal Huntington's tenure in Pittsburgh, and, if 2019 is any indication, he was a good one. Priester, 19, was the 18th overall pick of the Pirates out of Cary-Grove High School. He spent almost all of 2019 in the Gulf Coast League before being promoted for one start to West Virginia to end the season.
Priester posted a 3.03 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, and a 10.19 K/9 for the GCL Pirates. He throws a fastball that can hit 97, but has lived in the low-to-mid 90s. At 6'3", 195, he has some room to add on muscle to his frame and, perhaps, increase his heater's velocity. His best pitch is his curveball. We saw that on his scouting report before he was drafted and it's shown up in his first pro year. He has recently added a changeup to his arsenal, which should serve as a nice compliment to his fastball.
I really like his mix of pitches and how he uses them. That curveball is going to be deadly, and is probably the best one in the Pirates system. He mixes in a four and two seam fastball that can keep hitters off-balance. The four-seamer is the one that can hit the mid-90s. His two-seamer has excellent movement. If he can develop his changeup, I think he has a four-pitch combo that he can refine all the way to the majors.
Baseball America recently posted their top prospects in each league in the minors, and Quinn Priester was ranked as the number two prospect in the GCL. Sammy Siani, another 2019 Pirates' draft pick, is ranked number four.
Priester's one start in West Virginia would have been pretty good had it not been for his uncharacteristic lack of control. He walked four in his four innings there, but only 10 in his 32.2 innings in the GCL.
An interesting fact that was reported by Tim Williams, also at Baseball America, is that, until turning pro, Priester's pitching skills were mostly self-taught. Priester would analyze slow-motion videos, searching for nuances in what other pitchers did to make him better. That type of analysis (and corresponding results) are great to see in a young guy.
Quinn is currently the number six prospect according to MLB.com, and number five on our list. His early success is a breath of fresh air for a Pirates' system that has really struggled with pitching. He and Braxton Ashcraft could prove to be the start of a resurgence here. The problem with that, and it's the problem we've seen in Pittsburgh, is that they are both a long ways off from the majors.
Follow Jared on Twitter: @a_piratelife