Pirates Pitching Prospect Gets One Step Closer to MLB
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates are giving a big opportunity to one of their top pitching prospects this season.
The Pirates are promoting right-handed starting pitcher Khristian Curtis to Triple-A Indianapolis, after he spent the first of this season with Double-A Altoona, according to Chase Ford of MiLB Central.
Curtis is in his third season pitching with the Pirates after they took him in the 12th round of the 2023 MLB Draft out of Arizona State and is just one step before he joins the Major League roster.
It's a big chance for Curtis, who is someone the Pirates will hope can thrive at a higher level and make great progress.
What to Expect From Khristian Curtis
Curtis employs five pitches in his arsenal, a four-seam fastball, a cutter, a slider, a changeup and a curveball.
His fastball averages around the mid-90s and can hit as high as 98 mph, while his cutter is his secondary pitch that generates movement and got a whiff rate of 41%, throwing it around the early 90s mph.
Curtis also has gotten a high whiff rate from his slider (47%) and his changeup (45%), while his curveball hits in the upper 70s mph.
He has done well against hitters in his time in the minor leagues, averaging a 10.04 K/9, with 267 strikeouts over 239.1 innings pitched, but he has struggled at times with walls (4.14 BB/9) and teams have hit for power against him, with a .380 slugging percentage allowed and a 1.09 HR/9.
Baseball America ranks Curtis as the 11th best Pirates prospect and MLB Pipeline ranks him 21st in the Pirates farm system.
Background on Khristian Curtis
It's been a wild journey for Curtis, who almost never threw a pitch as a professional, due to two major surgeries he underwent in college.
Curtis originally started out at Texas A&M and underwent ulnar transposition surgery, which knocked him out of his freshman season, but then when he still had pain in his right elbow, he underwent a second surgery in 2022.
He threw for Arizona State in 2023 when he returned and then joined the Pirates, where he dealt with a hamstring injury in his first professional season in 2024.
Curtis started 16 of 18 games for Single-A Bradenton in 2024, where he posted a 4.06 ERA over 75.1 innings pitched, with 81 strikeouts to 39 walks, a .227 batting average allowed and a 1.34 WHIP.
He then spent almost the entire 2025 seasons with High-A Greensboro, with an 8-5 record over 26 starts in 27 appearances, a 3.98 ERA over 108.2 innings pitched, 116 strikeouts to 46 walks, a .222 BAA and a 1.26 WHIP.
Curtis ranked as one of the best pitchers in the South Atlantic League, ranking fourth in BAA, plus eighth in WHIP and ERA amongst all qualified pitchers, while also ranking fourth in strikeouts and seventh in innings pitched.
This play made him a non-roster invitee for the Pirates Major League Camp in Spring Training.
It's been a tough start for Curtis in Altoona, with a 0-7 record over 12 starts, a 4.73 ERA over 53.1 innings pitched, 67 strikeouts to 25 walks, a .215 BAA and a 1.28 WHIP.
Curtis did rank 10th in WHIP and eighth in BAA for Eastern League qualified pitchers, plus ranked first with 67 strikeouts and third with a 11.31 K/9, so he was still able to put up good performances, despite the record and higher ERA.
One of his best outings came recently, when he gave up just one run over a season-high seven innings pitched against Hartford on May 27. He also threw six innings twice and five innings twice with Altoona.
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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.