Pirates Sign Former Rockies Infield Prospect
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates are still making additions at this point of the offseason, even minor ones that may impact the 2026 campaign
The Pirates signed Infielder Hunter Stovall to a minor league contract on Feb. 23 and assigned him to Double-A Altoona, according to the transactions log.
Stovall has played the past seven seasons in the minor leagues, mostly in the Colorado Rockies farm system, and can feature at numerous infield positions.
It's not likely he makes the Pirates roster this season, but he could serve as an important depth piece at the minor league level in 2026.
What the Pirates Get in Stovall
Stovall has played 635 games in the minor leagues since 2018, playing 100 games a season from 2022-24.
He has played most of his games at shortstop, but also featured heavily at third base and shortstop in his career. Stovall has also started more than 65 games in left field and also has starts in right field and as a designated hitter.
Position | Starts (Games Played) |
|---|---|
Second Base | 244 (253) |
Third Base | 171 (163) |
Shortstop | 99 (100) |
Left Field | 67 (77) |
Designated Hitter | 34 (35) |
Right Field | 6 (7) |
Stovall isn't a power hitter, with just 48 home runs over his seven seasons in the minor leagues, but has hit for decent contact and kept his strikeouts down for the most part, with his highest at 91 back in 2022.
He has played mostly at Triple-A the past three seasons, including two seasons with the Albuquerque Isotopes (Rockies) and then last year with the Durham Bulls (Tampa Bay Rays).
Stovall possesses a career-slash line of .271/.333/.404 for an OPS of .737, which is decent for a minor league player.
He also stands 5-foot-6 and 170 pounds and will turn 30 years old this September.
Hunter Stovall Career Background
Stovall played for three seasons at Mississippi State, 2016-18, where he slashed .298/.353/.391 for an OPS of .744 over 148 games played.
He played for Mississippi State the same time that Pirates outfielder Jake Mangum did, 2016-19, who they acquired in the trade from the Rays this offseason.
The Rockies took Stovall in the 21st round of the 2018 MLB Draft, but traded him on April 26, 2019 to the Philadelphia Phillies.
Stovall re-signed with the Rockies for the 2021 season, as the 2020 minor league season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
He spent the next four years in the Rockies' minor league system, with High-A Spokane in 2021, Double-A Hartford in 2022, and then Triple-A Albuquerque in 2023 and 2024.
Stovall elected free agency at the end of 2024 and signed with the Rays, where he played 62 games with Double-A Montgomery and then 30 games with Triple-A Durham.
He will look to try and make an impact with the Pirates this season, but will need a strong showing at Altoona and then 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.