Pirates Pitching Prospect Made Massive Leap in 2026
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates have strong pitching depth in their farm system, and one player made a huge improvement in 2026.
Pirates right-handed pitcher Levi Sterling had a strong season and had a big jump in his velocity from his 2025 campaign.
Sterling improved his average velocity from 90.2 mph to 93.6 mph, a 3.4 mph increase in fastball velocity, per Baseball America.
It's a big jump for Sterling, who is working towards developing into the next Pirates ace.
Levi Sterling Puts Up Impressive 2026 Season
Sterling spent most of his season with Single-A Bradenton and pitching at 19, not turning 20 until Sept. 20.
He posted a 4-6 record in 21 starts, a 4.31 ERA over 96 innings, 112 strikeouts to 39 walks, a .215 BAA and a 1.19 ERA in Single-A.
Sterling was one of the best starting pitchers in the Florida State League, leading in innings pitched and a 10.5 K/9, while ranking second in strikeouts, BAA and WHIP, before earning promotion to High-A Greensboro in mid-August.
He had many strong outings with Bradenton, including his last start, posting a career-high 11 strikeouts over six innings against Lakeland (Detroit Tigers) on Aug. 11.
Sterling also posted two six-inning scoreless outings, allowing just two hits, against Lakeland on May 3 and against Clearwater (Philadelphia Phillies) on June 17.
He finished his season with High-A Greensboro, posting a 6.39 ERA and an 0-2 record in three strarts.
Sterling ended 2026 with one start, Game 2 of the Division Series in the South Atlantic League Playoffs against Frederick (Baltimore Orioles) on Sept. 10.
He threw five scoreless innings, posting five strikeouts, while giving up just one hit and two walks, earning a big 5-3 victory to keep Greensboro's season alive.
What the Pirates Need to See From Sterling in 2027
Sterling showed growth in 2026, especially after posting a 6.54 ERA over 11 appearances for the Florida Complex League Pirates in 2025.
The Pirates took him with the 37th overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, Competitive Balance Round A, out of Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, a neighborhood in Los Angeles, Calif.
Sterling put himself amongst the Pirates' best young pitching prospects in 2026, along with top prospect Seth Hernandez and dominant southpaw Reinold Navarro.
He ranks 12th per MLB Pipeline and 19th per Baseball America in the Pirates' top 30 prospect lists, one of the top Pirates' pitchers who hasn't made his MLB debut.
Sterling will use his four-seam, changeup, slider and curveball, and his velocity should continue improving, close to 95 mph by the end of his time with Bradenton.
His 3.73 BB/9 was a little high last season, but he should get better with his command throughout next season.
Sterling will face challenges pitching at the hitter-friendly First National Bank Field for Greensboro, but if he can overcome them, he'll soon move on the way to 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.