The Fastest Realistic Path to the Majors for Each Pirates Key Prospect
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates have some great prospects in their farm system, with a few that will contribute this season and those that will have to wait for their turn.
Baseball America ranked the Pirates' farm system as the best in baseball, while ESPN has them at third and The Athletic has them at fourth.
The Pirates have the top prospect in baseball in Konnor Griffin, one of the best pitching prospects in Bubba Chandler, a top future ace in Seth Hernandez and one of the quickest rising prospects in outfielder Edward Florentino, plus a host of other exciting talents.
Here is the quickest path for each of the top prospects in the Pirates farm system to the major leagues.
Konnor Griffin-Excel in Spring Training
Griffin, at just 19 years old, could very well find himself on the Opening Day roster for the Pirates.
He is the consensus top prospect in baseball and is the future shortstop for the franchise, but when he will make his debut is unknown.
The hype around Griffin is real, as he can do so many different things that make him an incredible player, hitting for both contact and power, great defensive work at shortstop and his speed on the base paths.
Griffin just had his breakout Spring Training game for the Pirates, hitting two big-time home runs in the 16-7 win over the Boston Red Sox on Feb. 24.
The Pirates will want to see more of that from Griffin, as he hasn't played at Triple-A yet and just 21 games at Double-A.
If Griffin keeps having performances like that, he'll make it a hard decision for the Pirates come March 26, when the Pirates go to face the New York Mets at Citi Field on Opening Day.
Bubba Chandler-Simply Stay Healthy and Perform Consistently
Chandler made his MLB debut last season and already showed why the Pirates are excited for his future in their starting rotation.
Stat | Total |
|---|---|
Record (Appearances/Starts) | 4-1 (7/4) |
ERA (Inning Pitched) | 4.02 (31.1) |
Strikeouts/Walks | 31/4 |
BAA/WHIP | .214/0.93 |
His first MLB start saw him give up nine earned runs over 2.2 innings in a loss to the Milwaukee Brewers, but he allowed just five earned runs over 28.2 innings pitched outside of that for a 1.65 ERA.
Chandler has the pitches that will keep him in the major leagues, with a 100+ mph fastball, plus both a changeup and a slider that sit in the lower 90s.
The Pirates will have Chandler in their starting rotation on Opening Day and it shouldn't be long before he's off prospect lists and aiming for awards.
Chandler has had issues with his command at times, but if he gets that under control and stays healthy, he'll easily be a major part of the Pirates' future.
Seth Hernandez-Give it a Few Years, But By End of Decade
Hernandez was the Pirates' sixth overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft out of Corona High School in Corona, Calif., about 45 miles east of Los Angeles.
The 19-year old is already high up on the prospect lists, as national writers see him having the tools and stuff of a future ace.
Hernandez already has a lot of what the Pirates want in an ace, a near 100 mph fastball, a dangerous changeup and curveball and a slider that works well too.
Still, he is just 19 years old and hasn't pitched professionally for the Pirates yet, so it will take some time.
Hernandez could make the Pirates as early as 2028, if all things go well, but he should start out at Rookie-Ball with the Florida Complex League Pirates.
Edward Florentino-2027 Will Determine When He Moves Up
Florentino was excellent in his first full season in the United States in 2025 with both the FCL Pirates and at Single-A Bradenton
Batting Average | On-Base % | Slugging % | OPS |
|---|---|---|---|
.290 | .400 | .548 | .948 |
Hits | Doubles | HR | RBI | BB/K | SB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
84 | 23 | 16 | 59 | 49/78 | 35 |
Florentino is an imposing figure at 6-foot-4 and is good defensively, with Baseball America naming him the top corner outfield prospect.
His bat is what will separate him going forward, like Griffin, hitting for both contact and power, has solid speed and kept his strikeout rate down.
Florentino will likely start 2026 with High-A Greensboro, where he could have some impressive stats in their hitter-friendly stadium and potentially make Double-A Altoona at the end of the season.
There's no rush for the Pirates on Florentino and should let the teenager continue improving, but if he continues up this kind of production, a late 2027, but more likely a 2028 call-up isn't out of the question.
LHP Hunter Barco-Show Up Competition in Spring Training
Barco, like Chandler, made his MLB debut last year, but only appeared in two games out of the bullpen.
The Pirates could use Barco in 2026, as they need more left-handed pitching, which they added in free agent Gregory Soto and in a trade with Mason Montgomery from the Tampa Bay Rays.
Soto is a lock for the roster, so Barco will compete with Montgomery and also Evan Sisk, the two other southpaws on the 40-man roster, for a spot on Opening Day.
Barco had an excellent 2025 campaign, as he set a franchise record with the longest scoreless inning streak to start a season at 25.2 innings pitched at Double-A Altoona. He also earned Eastern League Pitcher of the Month Award in April.
His sinker is his main pitch, but he also incorporates a slider that sits in the low 80-mph range and works well both inside and outside the zone. He uses his splitter similarly, which also generates movement and is another strikeout pitch.
If Barco can have a strong Spring Training and beat out his competition, he'll be on the plane to New York in late March.
Best of the Rest
The Pirates have other prospects that could make the Opening Day roster, but will face competition doing so.
Utility man Nick Yorke, catcher/first baseman Rafael Flores Jr. and outfielder Jhostynxon García, who came in a trade from the Red Sox this winter, are three players that are seeing time on the field in Spring Training and will get a chance to do so.
Yorke is trending towards the utility role and backup third baseman, Flores is one of four catchers going out for the team and García has a power bat and fills a depth need for the Pirates.
Other prospects to keep an eye on include pitchers in Thomas Harrington, Wilber Dotel, Antwone Kelly and Brandon Bidois, plus position players in Esmerlyn Valdez and Termarr Johnson.
Dotel, Kelly and Bidois all made the 40-man roster when the Pirates protected them from the 40-man roster, while Harrington is looking to have a bounce-back year.
Valdez will likely spend all of 2026 in the minor leagues, but if he can hit for power like he did last season, 26 home runs in 2025, then he could push for a spot this season.
Johnson should play all of 2026 at Triple-A, but that could set up a crucial 2027 season with the Pirates.
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.