Pirates Prospect Snubbed From MLB Pipeline List
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PITTSBURGH —The Pittsburgh Pirates have a top farm system with many top players, but not all players are seen as equal amongst their peers.
The Pirates placed five players on the newest MLB Pipeline top 100 prospects list ahead of the 2026 season, tied for the fourth-most of any team. Shortstop Konnor Griffin is the top prospect in baseball and right-handed pitcher Bubba Chandler is at 11th and the second-highest ranked pitcher. The Pirates also have 2025 MLB Draft sixth overall pick in right-handed pitcher Seth Hernandez at 29th, rising outfield star Edward Florentino at 51st and left-handed pitcher Hunter Barco at 96th,
One prospect the Pirates acquired this offseason didn't make the list after previously being ranked at the end of 2025.
Pirates Prospect Misses Out on Top 100
Ben Weinrib of MLB.com wrote about 10 prospects that just missed out on the MLB Top 100 ranking for the 2026 season and picked Pirates outfielder Jhostynxon García.
García was ranked 85th overall before the new top 100 came out and came to the Pirates from the Boston Red Sox in a trade on Dec. 4, with right-handed starting pitcher Johan Oviedo going the other way. Weinrib loves the power that García possesses, but also noted his struggles against better pitching in Triple-A and in his short stint with Boston in 2025.
"A solid defender in right and a passable center fielder, he retains a relatively high floor as a lefty mashing platoon hitter -- giving him an edge over the Yankees' boom-or-bust slugger Spencer Jones," he wrote.
"After arriving via trade to Pittsburgh, the Pirates will be tasked with improving his swing decisions to harness his potential."
What the Pirates Get in García
Jhostynxon García, whose first name is pronounced "JOES-tin-son", also holds the nickname, "The Password", due to the interesting nature of how his first name is spelt.
As Weinribd noted, García possesses great power and is coming off of 23 home runs in 2024 and 21 home runs this past season.
García slashed .267/.340/.470 for an OPS of .810 in 114 games across Double-A Portland and Triple-A Worcester, but his best play came in the 88 games at Triple-A in 2025
Stat | Total |
|---|---|
Batting Average | .271 |
On-Base Percentage | .334 |
Slugging Percentage | .498 |
OPS | .832 |
Hits | 86 |
Runs Scored | 60 |
Doubles | 12 |
Triples | 3 |
Home Runs | 18 |
RBI | 58 |
Walks/Strikeouts | 27/102 |
García has a beautiful swing, that sees him open up his body and crush balls in the zone, punishing pitchers for leaving balls for him to send out for a home run.
He does tend to pull the ball for a right-handed batter, but this works well in PNC Park, which is deeper in right-center field than it is closer to the foul pole.
García also can play all three outfield positions, but features mostly in center field, then at right field and a little bit in left field. This gives the Pirates options on where to put him, but also could serve as a backup for Oneil Cruz, putting him at designated hitter at times too.
While there are great things about his game, Garcia does have a high strikeout rate, 24.0% in 2024 and increasing to 30.1% this past season.
This comes from him going for power, which obviously comes with its risks, strikeouts, and also rewards, home runs.
He also struggles with offspeed pitches, with a whiff rate of 43.75% on the changeup and 43.69% on the slider, but does do better with higher velocity pitches, like the fastball and sinker.
García is solid against both right-handed pitching and left-handed pitching. He slashed .268/.339/.461 for an OPS of .800 against righties and .246/.348/.509 for an OPS of .857 against lefties.
Where He Projects for the Pirates in 2026
The Pirates are giving García a shot to make the team out of Spring Training, but won't rush him and will allow him to develop at Triple-A Indianapolis if needed, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.
García did make his MLB debut with the Red Sox last season, but only played in five games and went 1-for-7 from the plate.
The recently turned 23-year old is coming off a strong season in Triple-A, that saw him make the Futures Game.
Pittsburgh could use a left fielder next season and also acquired Jake Mangum in a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays on Dec. 19.
García and Mangum likely fit into the plans at left field for the Pirates next season, so there's a chance he'll get some playing time, depending on his performances in Spring Training and then likely at Triple-A Indianapolis.
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.