Pittsburgh Pirates minor league players

Braxton Ashcraft (born October 5, 1999) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.

Ashcraft attended Robinson High School in Robinson, Texas. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the second round of the 2018 Major League Baseball draft.[1] He signed with the Pirates, and made his professional debut with the Gulf Coast Pirates.

Ashcraft played 2019 with the West Virginia Black Bears. He did not play in 2020 due to the Minor League Baseball season being cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.[2] He returned in 2021 to play for the Greensboro Grasshoppers before undergoing Tommy John surgery, which caused him to miss the 2022 season.[3] Ashcraft returned from the injury in 2023 to play for Bradenton Marauders, Greensboro and Altoona Curve.[4]

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference (Minors)

Carter Bins (born October 7, 1998) is an American professional baseball catcher in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.

Bins attended Angelo Rodriguez High School in Fairfield, California.[5] He hit .313/.427/.447 with 9 RBIs in 67 at-bats in his senior year. He was First-Team All Monticello Empire League honors and was twice named Defensive Player of the Year.

Bins was drafted in the 35th round of the 2016 draft by the Philadelphia Phillies but chose to attend Fresno State University.[6] Bins started at catcher for the Fresno State Bulldogs baseball team for his three years there, earning Academic All-Mountain West honors each year.[5] In his career at Fresno State, Bins hit .289/.383/.465 with 19 home runs and 96 RBI in 679 plate appearances.[6] Bins was regarded as an excellent defensive catcher in college and was considered among the best in the 2019 draft.[7] He was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the 11th round of the 2019 MLB draft.[5] Bins signed with the Mariners for a $325,000 signing bonus [8]

Bins debuted in the minors with the Everett AquaSox, then of the Class A Short Season Northwest League.[6] He played 50 games for the AquaSox, hitting .208/.391/.357 with 7 home runs and 26 RBI.

On July 28, 2021, Bins was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates along with Joaquin Tejada in exchange for Tyler Anderson.[9]

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• Fresno State Bulldogs bio

Jase Callaway Bowen (born September 2, 2000) is an American professional baseball outfielder in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.

Bowen attended Central Catholic High School in Toledo, Ohio.[10] He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 11th round of the 2019 Major League Baseball draft. He signed with the Pirates rather than play college baseball and college football at Michigan State University.[11][12][13] He made his professional debut that year with the Gulf Coast Pirates.

Bowen did not play in 2020 due to the Minor League Baseball season being cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. He returned in 2021 to play for the Bradenton Marauders and played 2022 with Bradenton and the Greensboro Grasshoppers.[14] After the season, Bowen played in the Australian Baseball League for the Sydney Blue Sox. He started 2023 with Greensboro before being promoted to the Altoona Curve.

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference (Minors)

Jack Thomas Brannigan (born March 11, 2001) is an American professional baseball infielder in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.

Brannigan attended Marist High School in Chicago, Illinois and played college baseball at the University of Notre Dame.[15] He was a two-way player at Notre Dame, appearing in games as an infielder and relief pitcher.[16]

Brannigan was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the third round of the 2022 Major League Baseball draft.[17][18] He signed with the Pirates, and spent his first professional season with the Florida Complex League Pirates and Bradenton Marauders. Brannigan played 2023 with Bradenton and the Greensboro Grasshoppers. After the season, he played in the Arizona Fall League.[19]

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference (Minors)

Michael Thomas Burrows (born November 8, 1999) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.

Burrows attended Waterford High School in Waterford, Connecticut. As a senior in 2018, he went 6–0 with a 0.38 ERA and 98 strikeouts over 44 innings.[20] After the season, he was selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 11th round of the 2018 Major League Baseball draft.[21] He signed for $500,000, forgoing his commitment to play college baseball for the UConn Huskies baseball team.[22]

Burrows made his professional debut with the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League Pirates, pitching 14 innings and not giving up an earned run.[23] He played the 2019 season with the West Virginia Black Bears of the Class A Short Season New York–Penn League with whom he started 11 games and went 2–3 with a 4.33 ERA over 43+2⁄3 innings.[24] He did not play a minor league game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.[25] Burrows spent the 2021 season with the Greensboro Grasshoppers of the High-A East, although he missed time due to injury.[26] Over 13 starts, he went 2–2 with a 2.20 ERA, 66 strikeouts, and twenty walks over 49 innings.[27] After the season, he was selected to play in the Arizona Fall League with the Surprise Saguaros.[28][29] He was assigned to the Altoona Curve of the Double-A Eastern League to begin the 2022 season.[30] In mid-June, he was promoted to the Indianapolis Indians of the Triple-A International League.[31] He was selected to represent the Pirates alongside Henry Davis at the 2022 All-Star Futures Game.[32] Over 24 games (22 starts) between Altoona and Indianapolis, he went 5-6 with a 4.01 ERA and 111 strikeouts over 94+1⁄3 innings.[33]

On November 15, 2022, the Pirates selected Burrow's contract and added him to the 40-man roster.[34] Burrows was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis to begin the 2023 season.[35] He made 2 starts for the club before suffering an injury to his ulnar collateral ligament. On April 26, 2023, Burrows underwent Tommy John surgery, ending his season.[36]

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference (Minors)

Omar Cruz
Cruz in 2022 with the Altoona Curve
Pittsburgh Pirates
Pitcher
Born: (1999-01-26) January 26, 1999 Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico
Bats: Left Throws: Left

Omar Alejandro Cruz (born January 26, 1999) is a Mexican professional baseball pitcher in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.

Cruz signed with the San Diego Padres as an international free agent in 2017.[37] He made his professional debut in 2018 with the Rookie-level Arizona League Padres and was promoted to the Tri-City Dust Devils of the Class A Short Season Northwest League in July. Over 11 games (ten starts) with the two clubs, he pitched to a 1–1 record with a 1.91 ERA, striking out 59 batters over 42+1⁄3 innings.[38][39] He returned to Tri-City to begin the 2019 season before he was promoted to the Fort Wayne TinCaps of the Class A Midwest League. He compiled a combined 2–3 record and 2.73 ERA over 12 starts, striking out 76 over 56 innings.[40]

On January 19, 2021, Cruz (alongside David Bednar, Drake Fellows, Hudson Head, and Endy Rodríguez) was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates in a three team deal that also sent Joe Musgrove to the Padres and Joey Lucchesi to the New York Mets.[41] To begin the 2021 season, he was assigned to the Greensboro Grasshoppers of the High-A East.[42] After seven starts in which he went 3–3 with a 3.45 ERA and 38 strikeouts over 28+2⁄3 innings, he was promoted to the Altoona Curve of the Double-A Northeast.[43] Over 14 starts with Altoona, he went 3–4 with a 3.44 ERA over 70+2⁄3 innings.[44] He returned to Altoona for the 2022 season.[45] Over 23 games (five starts), Cruz posted a 3-3 record with a 5.03 ERA and 69 strikeouts over 62+2⁄3 innings.[46]

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference (Minors)

Drake Robert Fellows (born March 6, 1998) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.

Fellows attended Joliet Catholic Academy in Joliet, Illinois and Vanderbilt University, where he played college baseball for the Vanderbilt Commodores.[47][48] He was selected by the San Diego Padres in the sixth round of the 2019 Major League Baseball draft.[49] He did not play in 2019 after signing, and did not play in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season.[50]

On January 19, 2021, Fellows was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates in a three team trade that also sent David Bednar, Omar Cruz, Hudson Head and Endy Rodriguez to the Pirates, Joe Musgrove to the Padres and Joey Lucchesi to the New York Mets.[51] He made his professional debut with the Florida Complex League Pirates and the Bradenton Marauders, but pitched only 11+2⁄3 innings due to an elbow injury.[52]

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference (Minors)

Santiago Jesus Florez (born May 9, 2000) is a Colombian professional baseball pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.

In July 2016, Florez signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates for a $150,000 signing bonus.[53] In 2017, he pitched for the Dominican Summer League Pirates.[54] In 2018, he pitched for the Gulf Coast League Pirates.[55] In 2019, he pitched for the Bristol Pirates.[56]

He began the 2023 season with the Greensboro Grasshoppers.[57]

He represented the Colombia national baseball team in the 2023 World Baseball Classic,[58] pitching in Colombia's game against the United States.[59]

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference (Minors)

Matthew Teran Fraizer (born January 12, 1998) is an American professional baseball outfielder in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.

Fraizer attended Clovis North High School in Clovis, California.[60] He was drafted by the Oakland Athletics in the 38th round of the 2016 Major League Baseball Draft but did not sign and played college baseball at the University of Arizona. In 2018, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Orleans Firebirds of the Cape Cod Baseball League.[61] He was selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the third round of the 2019 MLB draft and signed.[62][63]

Fraizer made his professional debut with the West Virginia Black Bears, batting .221 over 43 games. He did not play a minor league game in 2020 due to the season being cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.[50] He started 2021 with the Greensboro Grasshoppers before being promoted to the Altoona Curve.[64][65] Over 112 games between the two teams, he slashed .306/.388/.552 with 23 home runs, 68 RBIs, and 15 stolen bases.[66]

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference (Minors)

Jacob Christopher Gonzalez (born June 26, 1998) is an American professional baseball first baseman in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.

Gonzalez attended Chaparral High School.[67]

Gonzalez was drafted in the 2nd round of the 2017 draft by the San Francisco Giants.[68]

In December 2021, Gonzalez was selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 draft.[69][70]

His father is Luis Gonzalez.[71][72]

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference (Minors)

Matthew Gorski (born December 22, 1997) is an American professional baseball outfielder in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization. He played college baseball for the Indiana Hoosiers.

Gorski grew up in Fishers, Indiana and attended Hamilton Southeastern High School.

Gorski played college baseball at Indiana for three seasons. As a freshman, he batted .288 with four home runs. After the season, Gorski played collegiate summer baseball for the Amsterdam Mohawks of the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League.[73] Gorski was named first team All-Big Ten Conference as a sophomore after he hit for .356 average with eight home runs and a team-high 79 hits.[74] He played for the Harwich Mariners of the Cape Cod Baseball League in the following summer of 2018.[75] Gorski batted .271 with 12 home runs and was named second team All-Big Ten in his junior season.[76]

Gorski was selected in the second round of the 2019 Major League Baseball draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates.[77] After signing with the team he was assigned to the West Virginia Black Bears of the Class A Short Season New York–Penn League.[78] Gorski spent the 2021 season with the High-A Greensboro Grasshoppers and batted .223 with 17 home runs and 56 RBIs.[79] Gorski began the 2022 season with Greensboro.[80] In late May, he was promoted to the Altoona Curve.[81] In late June, he suffered a quadriceps injury and was placed on the 60-day injured list.[82]

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or Baseball Reference (Minors)
• Indiana Hoosiers bio

John Hudson Head (born April 8, 2001) is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.

Head attended Winston Churchill High School in San Antonio, Texas. As a senior in 2019, he batted .615 with 14 home runs.[83] He committed to play college baseball for the Oklahoma Sooners.[84] He was selected by the San Diego Padres in the third round of the 2019 Major League Baseball draft.[85] He signed with the Padres for a $3 million signing bonus, a record for a player taken in the third round.[86]

Head made his professional debut with the Rookie-level Arizona League Padres, batting .283 with one home run and seven doubles over 32 games.[87] He did not play a minor league game in 2020 since the season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[88]

On January 19, 2021, Head was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates as part of a three team trade that also sent David Bednar, Omar Cruz, Drake Fellows and Endy Rodriguez to the Pirates, Joe Musgrove to the Padres and Joey Lucchesi to the New York Mets.[51] He spent the 2021 season with the Bradenton Marauders of the Low-A Southeast, slashing .213/.362/.394 with 15 home runs, fifty RBIs, and 16 doubles over 101 games.[89]

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference (Minors)

Jared Keith Jones (born August 6, 2001) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.

Jones attended La Mirada High School in La Mirada, California.[90] He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the second round of the 2020 Major League Baseball draft.[91] He signed with the Pirates rather than play college baseball at the University of Texas at Austin.[92][93]

Jones made his professional debut in 2021 with the Bradenton Marauders.[94] Over 18 games (15 starts), he went 3–6 with a 4.64 ERA and 103 strikeouts over 66 innings.[95]

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference (Minors)

Grant Koch (born February 5, 1997) is an American professional baseball catcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.

Koch played college baseball at Arkansas from 2016 to 2018.[96]

Koch was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 5th round of the 2018 MLB draft, and signed for a $364,600 signing bonus.[97]

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference (Minors)

Brennan Russell Malone (born September 8, 2000) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.

Malone attended Porter Ridge High School in Indian Trail, North Carolina[98] before transferring to IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida for his senior year.[99][100][101] At IMG, he was recorded throwing as high as 97 miles per hour.[102] He committed to play college baseball at the University of North Carolina.

Malone was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the first round of the 2019 Major League Baseball draft, making him one of only three high school pitchers selected in the first round of the 2019 draft.[103][104][105] He signed for $2.2 million.[106][107] After signing, he was assigned to the Arizona League Diamondbacks, going 1–2 with a 5.14 ERA over seven innings. He also pitched in one game for the Hillsboro Hops at the end of the year.

On January 27, 2020, the Diamondbacks traded Malone and Liover Peguero to the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for Starling Marte and cash considerations.[108] He did not play a minor league game in 2020 since the season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[109] He missed a majority of the 2021 season due to a lat injury, and pitched only 14 innings for the year.[110]

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or Baseball Reference (Minors)

Cristofer Melendez (born September 16, 1997) is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.

In July 2014, Melendez signed with the Houston Astros.[111] In 2018, he signed with the Chicago White Sox.[112] In December 2018, Melendez was selected by the San Diego Padres in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 draft; he was then traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates.[113]

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference (Minors)

Malcom Yaniel Núñez (born March 9, 2001) is a Cuban professional baseball first baseman and third baseman in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.

Núñez signed with the St. Louis Cardinals as an international free agent in July 2018.[114][115] He made his professional debut that year with the Dominican Summer League Cardinals. He played 2019 with the Johnson City Cardinals and Peoria Chiefs.[116]

Núñez did not play for a team in 2020, due to the Minor League Baseball season being cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. He returned in 2021 to play for Peoria and Springfield Cardinals and started 2022 with Springfield.

On August 1, 2022, Núñez and Johan Oviedo were traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates for José Quintana and Chris Stratton.[117] He was assigned to the Altoona Curve.[118]

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference (Minors)

John O'Reilly (born October 4, 1995) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.

O'Reilly played college baseball at Rutgers from 2015 to 2018.[119]

In June 2018, O'Reilly signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates as an undrafted free agent.[120]

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference (Minors)

Jun-Seok Shim (born April 9, 2004) is a Korean baseball pitcher in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.

Shim attended Duksoo High School in Seoul, South Korea.[121] In 2020, he went 4-1 with a 1.42 ERA and 32 strikeouts over 19 innings pitched. Shim suffered a elbow injury that hampered his 2021 season.[122] He struggled with a back injury in 2022 and pitched 20+2⁄3 innings over 12 appearances, posting a 5.14 ERA with 40 strikeouts and 22 walks.[123] Shim did not apply for the 2022 Korea Baseball Organization Draft and hired agent Scott Boras to focus on being signed by a Major League Baseball (MLB) team as an international free agent.[124][125]

Shim was signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates on January 26, 2023, and received a $750,000 signing bonus.[126][127] He began the 2023 season in extended spring training.[128] Shim was later assigned to the Rookie-level Florida Complex League Pirates.[129]

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Samuel James Siani (born December 14, 2000) is an American professional baseball outfielder in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.

Siani attended William Penn Charter School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In 2019, his senior year, he hit .457 with 25 RBIs and 16 stolen bases.[130] Siani was named the 2019 Pennsylvania High School Player of the Year by Perfect Game.[131] He committed to play college baseball at Duke University.[132]

Siani was selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates with the 37th overall pick in the 2019 Major League Baseball draft.[133][134] He signed for $2.15 million and was assigned to the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League Pirates.[135] Over 39 games, he batted .241 with three doubles, nine RBIs, and five stolen bases.[136] He did not play a minor league game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. To begin the 2021 season, he was assigned to the Bradenton Marauders of the Low-A Southeast.[137] In mid-July, he was placed on the injured list, and returned in early September.[138] Over 62 games with Bradenton, Siani slashed .215/.376/.390 with eight home runs and 35 RBIs.[139]

Siani was assigned to the Greensboro Grasshoppers of the High-A South Atlantic League for the 2022 season.[140] Over 82 games, he batted .201 with seven home runs, 28 RBIs, and 25 doubles.[141]

Siani's older brother, Mike, plays in MLB for the Cincinnati Reds.[142]

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference (Minors)

Tahnaj A'kheel Thomas (born June 16, 1999) is a Bahamian professional baseball pitcher in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.

Thomas signed with the Cleveland Indians as an international free agent in 2016.[143] He spent his first professional season in 2017 with the Dominican Summer League Indians and Arizona League Indians, going 0–5 with a 5.63 ERA over 38+1⁄3 innings, and played 2018 with the Arizona League Indians where he posted a 4.58 ERA over 19+2⁄3 innings.

On November 14, 2018 the Indians traded Thomas, Erik González and Dante Mendoza to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Jordan Luplow and Max Moroff.[144] Thomas spent his first season with the Pirates organization in 2019 with the Bristol Pirates and pitched to a 2–3 record with a 3.17 ERA and 59 strikeouts over 48+1⁄3 innings.[145] He did not play a minor league game in 2020 since the season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[146] Thomas spent 2021 with the Greensboro Grasshoppers.[147] Over 16 starts, Thomas went 3–3 with a 5.19 ERA and 62 strikeouts over 60+2⁄3 innings.[148]

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Eddy Yean (born July 25, 2001) is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.

The Nationals signed Yean as an international amateur free agent out of the Dominican Republic in July 2017, giving him a $100,000 signing bonus. After beginning his professional career in the Dominican Summer League in 2018, Yean advanced to Class A Short Season ball in 2019, pitching for the Auburn Doubledays. In 2020, MLB Pipeline rated Yean as the Nationals' sixth-best prospect overall and forecast that he would continue rising as a prospect.[149]

Yean pitches right-handed, releasing the ball from a three-quarters arm slot. He employs a two-seam fastball up to 97 miles per hour (156 km/h) as his primary pitch.[150] He also throws a slider and a changeup.[151]

On December 24, 2020, Yean along with Wil Crowe were traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for Josh Bell.[152]

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference (Minors)

Chavez Young (born July 8, 1997) is an Bahamian professional baseball outfielder in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.

Young moved to the United States when he was 15, and attended Faith Baptist Christian Academy in Brandon, Florida for two years.[153] In his final year of high school, Young attended the same school in Ludowici, Georgia, and was selected in the 39th round of the 2016 Major League Baseball draft by the Toronto Blue Jays.[153][154] He was assigned to the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League Blue Jays, and batted .274 with six runs batted in (RBI) and six stolen bases in 21 games played.[154] Young played the 2017 season with the Rookie Advanced Bluefield Blue Jays and Short Season-A Vancouver Canadians. In 67 total games, he hit .283 with four home runs and 30 RBI.[154]

Chavez was assigned to the Class-A Lansing Lugnuts for the entire 2018 season. He was named a mid-season All-Star after hitting .307 with 18 doubles, two home runs, and 18 stolen bases.[153][155] In total, Young played in 125 games for the Lugnuts in 2018, and hit .285 with 33 doubles, nine triples, eight home runs, 57 RBI, and 44 stolen bases.[154]

On January 10, 2023, Young was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Zach Thompson.[156]

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