Pirates Prospects Struggling in Arizona Fall League
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates use the Arizona Fall League to give their prospects a great opportunity to get better and prove they deserve a better shot in 2027.
This group of Pirates prospects in the AFL hasn't impressed in 2026 and has struggled to put on a good showing these past three weeks.
Pittsburgh's prospects are playing for the Glendale Desert Dogs, and most are falling below expectations right now.
It's a big change from 2025, with right fielder Esmerlyn Valdez winning AFL Offensive Player of the Year honors and first baseman Tony Blanco Jr. winning the AFL Home Run Derby, making for a disappointing fall so far.
How Pirates Hitters Are Performing in Arizona Fall League
The Pirates have three position players in the AFL: shortstop Wyatt Sanford, catcher Easton Carmichael and third baseman/outfielder Jhonny Severino.
Sanford is having the best showing of any Pirates player in the AFL, hitting .250/.375/.400 for an OPS of .775 in 11 games, with nine runs scored, 10 hits in 40 at-bats, two home runs, five RBI and seven walks to 10 strikeouts.
It was a strong season for Sanford at High-A Greensboro, .292/.423/.551 for an OPS of .974 for 72 games, including 17 home runs, and he will have to prove he can keep it up at Double-A Altoona.
Severino has been decent in the AFL, batting .222/.364/.333 for an OPS of .697 in 11 games, with eight hits in 36 at-bats, a double, a home run, three RBI and eight walks to 12 strikeouts.
He had his best year yet as a professional, hitting .256/.308/.524 for an OPS of .832 in 113 games for Greensboro and led the South Atlantic League with 31 home runs.
Carmichael has struggled at the plate in the AFL, batting .111/.219/.148 for an OPS of .367 in eight games, with just three hits in 27 at-bats.
He was a solid hitter in both High-A and Double-A this season, batting .287/.339/.486 for an OPS of .825 in 111 games with 20 home runs, putting himself in good position for a spot on the Pirates roster sometime in 2027.
Pirates Pitching Prospects Struggling in Arizona Fall League
One Pirates pitcher has had some success in the AFL, right-hander Bryan Mena, who has thrown three scoreless outings, five innings total, with six strikeouts to two walks, a 1.60 WHIP and a .273 BAA.
Mena started 14 of 22 games he pitched for Greensboro in 2026, with a 4.87 ERA over 88.2 innings, 70 strikeouts to 37 walks, a .262 BAA and a 1.44 WHIP.
Brandon Cain, Zander Mueth and Cristhian Tortosa have all pitched five games, but none have pitched well.
Cain has posted a 7.11 ERA, with five earned runs over 6.1 innings, six walks to four strikeouts, a 2.21 WHIP and a .308 BAA.
The 19th-round pick in 2025 is nearing the end of his first professional season and has transitioned completely from being a two-way player, as he did at Oklahoma, to pitching only.
Mueth has posted a 22.09 ERA, with nine earned runs over 3.2 innings, 10 walks to four strikeouts, a 4.64 WHIP and a .438 BAA.
The 67th overall pick in 2023 has dealt with injuries and struggled in limited play, with an 8.66 ERA in 14 games in 2026 and a 6.58 ERA over 12 games in 2025.
Tortosa has posted a 19.80 ERA, with 11 earned runs over five innings, eight walks to four strikeouts, a 3.40 WHIP and a .391 BAA.
The Pirates signed Tortosa as a minor league free agent on June 4 and the 27-year-old had some success at Altoona in 2026, with a 3.56 ERA over 19 outings, a 1.64 WHIP and a .135 BAA.
Michael Walsh has posted a 5.79 ERA over four outings, three earned runs over 4.2 innings, five walks to three strikeouts, a 2.36 WHIP and a .316 BAA.
The ninth-round pick out of Yale in 2022 had issues at Altoona this season, with a 5.45 ERA over 26 outings and 38 innings, 40 strikeouts to 11 walks, a .266 BAA and a 1.37 WHIP.
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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.