Pirates May Have the Best Power Hitting Prospect
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates have built one of the best farm systems in baseball with one of their young prospects showing some of the best power not just in the minor leagues, but the sport as well.
Pirates designated hitter Tony Blanco Jr. hit a grand slam in the 8-7 win over the Detroit Tigers in the Spring Breakout Game at LECOM Park in Bradenton, Fla. on March 20, which served as one of the best moments of the night.
This grand slam from Blanco in the bottom of the fourth inning wasn't just over the wall, as the Pirates prospect hit it 106.6 mph off the bat and 411 feet into left field seats, giving the home team four of the eight runs they scored in that frame.
Blanco spent a good part of 2025 displaying his incredible power and why he might be the best power prospect in baseball going forward.
Why Tony Blanco Jr. is a Top Power Bat For the Future
Blanco is an imposing figure, standing 6-foot-7 and 243 pounds, making him quite noticeable whenever he steps into the batter's box.
His stature isn't the only reason he hits as hard as he does, but it surely helps, as he turns his body quickly and makes incredible contact with the baseball.
Blanco showed this last season on numerous occasion, with his first home run of the season going 118.9 mph off the bat and 425 feet on July 30. He then hit a three-run walk-off home run on Aug. 2, at 119.8 mph and 450 feet, marking the hardest hit home run in the minor leagues in 2025.
This continued into the Arizona Fall League, as he hit the longest home run at 464 feet and also adouble with an exit velocity of 120.4 mph, the hardest hit ball last season.
The double was also the second hardest ball across baseball (MLB, Triple-A, Florida State League, Arizona Fall League) in 2025, with only Pirates center fielder Oneil Cruz's Statcast, record-breaking 122.9 mph home run beating out Blanco.
Blanco finished off his 2025 campaign by winning the AFL Home Run Derby, beating out fellow Pirates power prospect in Esmerlyn Valdez. He finished with 24 home runs total and his hardest hit home run was 122.9 mph, matching Cruz's home run.
What Blanco Needs to do Moving Forward
The biggest issue for Blanco is that he's spent far too much time off the field with injuries, playing no more than 40 games in a season as a professional.
He only played 30 games each the past two seasons and didn't make his debut with Single-A Bradenton until late July 2025.
Blanco will also have to improve on other parts of his game, like hitting for more contact than just home runs and also having more productive at-bats, with a strikeout rate of 32.1%.
He turns 21 years old in May, giving him time to still develop into the hitter the Pirates want, and if he can play a vast majority of games in the 2026 campaign, then that should serve as big step in his career.
Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.