Minor League Baseball

Pittsburgh Pirates Left-Handed Pitching Prospect Makes History at Double-A Altoona

Hunter Barco etched his name into the Altoona record books on Saturday while pitching against the Akron RubberDucks. And it earned him a promotion.
Jami Leabow|
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Hunter Barco (89) poses for a photo during media day at Pirate City on Feb 18, 2025, in Bradenton, Fla.
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Hunter Barco (89) poses for a photo during media day at Pirate City on Feb 18, 2025, in Bradenton, Fla. | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

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Pittsburgh Pirates

This upcoming week marks one calendar year since the Pittsburgh Pirates called up right-hander Paul Skenes, who went on to win National League Rookie of the Year honors.

Another right-hander, Bubba Chandler, is knocking on the door of the majors. He’s dominating Triple-A hitters, currently 2-0 with a 1.42 ERA at Indianapolis. In 25.1 innings over six games, he has struck out 36 batters.

Two more highly ranked right-handers – Thomas Harrington (MLB Pipeline No. 75 overall, No. 3 Pirates) and Braxton Ashcraft (No. 6 Pirates) – are on the Indianapolis roster.

And joining them is Nick Barco, the team’s No. 7 overall prospect, promoted on Saturday, according to Pittsburgh Post-Gazette beat writer Noah Hiles.

He doesn’t have the name recognition of Skenes and Chandler, for sure, but he has put his name in the record books of the Double-A Altoona Curve.

Against the Akron RubberDucks on Saturday, Barco threw five scoreless innings, surrendering two hits, walking three and striking out four. He didn’t figure into the decision of the 5-3 loss.

He set a team record, however, by logging another scoreless outing, moving to 25.2 consecutive innings without giving up a run. His season totals at Altoona: 1-0, 0.00 ERA in six starts. He has struck out 34, and batters are hitting .131 against him.

The Pirates selected Barco in the second round of the 2022 MLB Draft after his college career at Florida. In two seasons in the Pittsburgh organization, he is 5-4 with a 2.54 ERA over 33 games (30 starts) and 110 innings.

The arms race now is on in Indianapolis.

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Jami Leabow
JAMI LEABOW

Jami Leabow is the managing editor of Minor League Baseball on SI. Her love for the game began when her parents bought season tickets to the then-California Angels.

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