Pirates Catching Prospect Makes Quick Impression in Arizona Fall League
In this story:
PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates have some of their better prospects in the Arizona Fall League, but one player just recently joined and showed off his talent
Pirates catcher Luke Scherrer made his first AFL start for the Glendale Desert Dogs against the Mesa Solar Sox and had a great showing.
Scherrer hit a solo home run to lead off the fourth inning, hitting a 93.1 mph four-seam fastball down and inside and sending it 102 mph and 385 feet to left-center field to make it a 4-0 game in the eventual 10-5 win.
It was a great debut for Scherrer and one that should bolster him heading into the offseason and into 2027.
Why Scherrer is a Late Addition to Arizona Fall League
Glendale activated Scherrer on Oct. 26, but this was his first game, despite joining over a week prior.
Scherrer replaced fellow Pirates catching prospect Easton Carmichael on Glendale, who is no longer listed on the roster.
Carmichael seriously struggled during his time in the AFL, batting .094/.250/.125 for an OPS of .375 in 10 games, with three hits in 32 at-bats and one extra-base hit (double).
Scherrer is with Glendale for the final week of games, with the AFL regular season ending on Nov. 11 and the Championship on Nov. 14.
It's a good opportunity for him to take advantage of and could be huge for him heading into 2027.
Background on Luke Scherrer
Scherrer hails from Redlands, Calif., and attended Yucaipa High School, about 70 miles east of Los Angeles.
He was originally committed to Cal Poly, but signed with the Pirates as a free agent in 2023 and has spent his past four professional seasons with them.
Scherrer has hit .224/.348/.299 for an OPS of .647 in 162 games, with 105 hits, 12 doubles, seven home runs, 55 RBI and 66 walks to 129 strikeouts.
Scherrer spent his first three seasons playing mostly with the Florida Complex League Pirates before making it to Single-A Bradenton in 2025.
He played 69 games with Bradenton in 2026, batting .232/.331/.335 for an OPS of .666 in 69 games, with 52 hits in 224 at-bats, three doubles, a triple, six home runs, 33 RBI, 26 walks to 70 strikeouts and six stolen bases on 10 attempts.
Scherrer hit his best in June and July, slashing .306/.451/.452 for an OPS of .903 in 22 games, with 19 hits in 62 at-bats, a double, a triple, two home runs, 10 RBI and 15 walks to 21 strikeouts.
He played mostly at first base in 2026, with 49 starts in 51 games played and just 13 starts in 16 appearances at catcher.
Scherrer will look to progress through the minor leagues and start 2027 with High-A Greensboro, where he played two games this season.
Add us as a preferred source on Google
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.