Pirates Pitching Prospect Had Best Fastball in 2026
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates have a few strong young pitching prospects, one of whom has one of the better pitches in the minor leagues.
Pirates left-handed pitcher Reinold Navarro has an incredible four-seam fastball, which ranked first for Stuff+ per Baseball America.
Navarro earned a 121 rating for his fastball, three points higher than the next player, showing his dominance early on.
It's an encouraging sign for the 19-year-old, who is just starting as a professional and has the potential to develop into an ace for the Pirates.
What Makes Navarro's Fastball So Impressive
Navarro doesn't just have the best Stuff+ for his fastball for no reason, as he dominated with the pitch in 2026.
He posted a 96.1 mph average velocity and can throw it in triple digits at times too, possessing the velocity he needs for a major league career.
Navarro also has 19-plus inches of induced vertical break (IVB) and has also averaged around 21 at times in his career so far.
Induced vertical break represents the movement a pitcher gets on a pitch from spinning the ball, with no gravity effect, and marks rise and fall in the plus and negative categories.
MLB pitchers averaged 16-plus inches of IVB in 2024, and his 19-plus inches are close to the 20-plus inches mark, which marks an elite fastball.
IVB is important for fastballs, as the more rise it gets, the more it generates chases and whiffs, with hitters swinging under the ball.
Pirates starting pitcher Jared Jones averages around 16 IVB and he has an elite fastball that most hitters can't deal with.
Navarro already has fastball grades of "70" and "65" from Baseball America and MLB Pipeline, which is "well-above average"
If Navarro can continue developing his fastball through the minor leagues, he will set himself up for success when he joins the Pirates.
What Pirates Need From Navarro Going Forward
Navarro doesn't just have his elite fastball; he also has an impressive slider, graded "60", above average, making for a great duo.
He also has a changeup he uses less, but his fastball and slider will be the reason he makes it to the major leagues.
Navarro struggles with command and posted a 7.97 BB/9 and a 20.5% walk rate, both quite high, even with improvements from 2025.
He is still young, but he must develop better command in 2027, especially against better competition at High-A.
Navarro Has Strong 2026 Season
Navarro showed his dominance throughout the 2026 campaign and put himself on the right track for 2027.
He was excellent for Single-A Bradenton, posting a 5-2 record in 14 starts and 21 games pitched, a 2.60 ERA over 69.1 innings pitched, 117 strikeouts to 60 walks, a .157 BAA and a 1.42 WHIP.
Navarro worked in different roles, coming in for late-game appearances while also starting games.
He pitched at least five innings on five separate occasions and had success going deeper, shutting down opposing hitters and posting high strikeout numbers.
Navarro earned a promotion to High-A Greensboro on Aug. 18, making three starts and finishing with a 5.59 ERA.
His first High-A start was impressive, posting eight strikeouts over five innings and allowing just one run in the 6-2 win over Bowling Green (Tampa Bay Rays) on Aug. 21.
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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.