Which Pirates Prospects Actually Matter in 2026
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates have a great farm system with some of the top prospects in all of baseball, which gives them an edge heading into next season.
This 2026 season is one where the Pirates have a realistic goal of making the playoffs, ending a decade-long absence from meaningful October baseball and will need their youth to step up in big moments.
The Pirates have built much of the team from their draft, with the likes of pitchers in Paul Skenes, Mitch Keller, Braxton Ashcraft, Carmen Mlodzinski, Jared Jones, plus position players in catcher Henry Davis and infielders in Nick Gonzales and Jared Triolo.
Pittsburgh also added some top players through trade, especially some of whom will contribute in 2026.
No. 1 Konnor Griffin
Griffin is still just 19 years old and played only 21 games at Double-A Altoona last year, but could easily serve as the Pirates starting shortstop on Opening Day.
It's likely that he'll begin at Triple-A Indianapolis, but the top prospect in all of baseball will get a chance to contribute for the Pirates in 2026.
Griffin gives the Pirates everything they wanted when they took him out of high school with the ninth overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft. He hits for contact and power, possesses great speed and athleticism and is a great fielder, winning an MiLB Gold Glove Award.
How Griffin performs in Spring Training will play a big role in whether he makes the Opening Day roster or not, so keep an eye on his performances in the Grapefruit League starting this weekend.
No. 2 RHP Bubba Chandler
The Pirates finally brought up Bubba Chandler towards the end of last season and did well both coming out of the bullpen and in the starting role for the most part.
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 |
He was especially dominant in his final three starts, giving up just six hits, no walks to 19 strikeouts and two earned runs allowed over 16.2 innings.
Chandler has an incredible fastball, that averages around 98.9 mph and can reach higher than 100 mph. He also has two great offspeed pitches in his changeup and slider, which opposing hitters posted a .080 and a .087 slider batting average against, respectively, last season.
He should have a spot in the starting rotation, which could range anywhere from second behind Skenes or fourth, but rest assured, he'll have a crucial role for this Pirates time in 2026.
No. 3 LHP Hunter Barco
Barco also finally made his MLB debut with the Pirates last season, but pitched just three scoreless innings over two outings.
He did breakout in 2025, 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.
Barco spent most of his time afterwards with Triple-A Indianapolis, where he may start in 2026, but he'll push for not just a spot on the Pirates roster, but also a chance at the starting rotation.
His injury history would put him in the "piggyback" role early on, but he has gone deep in outings before, so there's no doubt he could take the workload of a starting pitcher.
Barco also is a left-handed pitcher, which makes him a valuable asset for the Pirates, who are quite right-handed heavy, especially in their starting rotation.
No. 4 Jhostynxon García
The Pirates traded forJhostynxon García from the Boston Red Sox, sending away right-handed starting pitcherJohan Oviedo on Dec. 4.
García has little MLB experience, just seven at-bats, but brings the promise of great power, 44 home runs the past two seasons, and also outfield depth for a team that needs it.
The Pirates have both Oneil Cruz and Bryan Reynolds, plus free agent signing Ryan O'Hearn and outfielder Jake Mangum, who came in the trade with the Tampa Bay Rays, but there aren't many serious options behind that.
García will likely start at Triple-A, but a good showing early on in the minors and a potential injury may give him that chance he's looking for in 2026.
No. 5 C/1B Rafael Flores Jr.
Flores came to the Pirates as a part of the trade return for former All-Star closer David Bednar going to the New York Yankees at the last deadline,.
He made his MLB debut late in the season and finished with three hits in 15 at-bats, plus starting four of the six games he played at first base and starting one contest at catcher.
Flores also brings some power to the Pirates, with 43 home runs over the past two season in the minor leagues, something the team will want to bring at some point.
It's likely he begins his season at Triple-A, but if there is a need at either catcher or first base, he would fill that role adequately.
The Pirates will also want Flores to show that trading away a hometown star like Bednar got them a good player in return for the future.
Other Prospects to Keep an Eye On
Pittsburgh has a few other prospects that will have a chance to make an impact, but not as big of a role as the others.
Nick Yorke has spent the past two Septembers on the Pirates roster and has trained at different infield spots in Spring Training. He could also make the Opening Day roster, serving as the backup to Triolo at third base.
Thomas Harrington struggled massively in his two stints at the major league level last season, but if he makes a strong return from his groin injury, he has the pitch mix that can get him back to the top 100 prospect evaluations he had early in 2025.
Antwone Kelly and Wilber Dotel likely won't pitch for the Pirates in 2025, but by being on the 40-man roster, they could feature at some point if the team needs pitching depth due to injuries.
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.