Pittsburgh Pirates Top-15 Prospects of 2009, No’s 6 – 15
For an overview of the process used to grade players, the factors used to determine where a player ranks, and other frequently asked questions, please click here. All grades are subject to change based on any new information I receive before the start of the season. If you disagree, you can make your case by contacting me or you can make a comment below at the bottom of the page.
You can find a full listing of each team’s top prospect list in the Top Prospect List Archive Page. Also, each team will have their Team Page published when their top prospect list becomes available. Team pages include team rosters, stats, payroll and front office information, past Baseball-Intellect articles related to that team, and links to some of the team’s best fan sites. Rounding out the top Pittsburgh Pirates prospects…
Also See: Pittsburgh Pirates, Prospects 1 – 5
6. Dan McCutchen | RHP | AAA Indianapolis | Age – 26 | Drafted – Round 13, 2006
Player Grades
Fastball – 50 Now | 50 Future
Curveball – 55 | 55
Change-Up – 45 | 45
Control – 55 | 55
Command – 55 | 55
Pitchability – 55 | 60
ETA – 2009
Final Grade – C+
I completed a scouting report on McCutchen back when he was traded from New York to Pittsburgh and nothing has changed my perception of him since.
Best Case Outcome – No. 4/5 starter
More Likely Outcome – No. 5 starter or moved to the bullpen in a middle relief or long relief role.
7. Brad Lincoln | RHP | Single-A Hickory | Age – 23 | Drafted – Round 1 (4), 2006
Player Grades
Fastball – 50 Now | 55 Future
Curveball – 50 | 55
Change-Up – 45 | 50
Control – 50 | 55
Command – 45 | 50
Pitchability – 50 | 55
ETA – 2010
Final Grade – C+
Body Type – short and stocky, but he’s a good athlete
Stuff
Fastball – low 90′s pitch with a little bit of sink…he has a four-seamer as well that he can throw for a little more velocity
Curveball – a solid breaker that he can throw for strikes…somewhat slurvy
Change-Up – good tumble, but just an average pitch right now
Scouting Report
Even though his numbers were very ordinary, you have to figure Lincoln was pretty happy with the way everything went. He stayed healthy, threw strikes, and manged to get into the 6th inning without too much of a drop-off in his stuff.
He still doesn’t have that oomph back on his stuff, which is why the 2009 season is very important for Lincoln. A pitcher usually gets there stuff back in the second year after their recovery from Tommy John surgery, so it will be interesting to see where he’s at this year.
Lincoln usually works down in the strike zone. His control is solid and he commands his pitches well to both sides of the plate. There are times he doesn’t hit his spots, and he’ll get hit hard for it, as you can see in the example below. Watch how the catcher’s glove has to move back across the plate. He’s around the strike zone, but his command wasn’t very sharp on that particular pitch.
*Credit to Minor League Baseball
Lincoln will likely start in Double-A next year.
Best Case Outcome – Solid No. 4 starter…maybe a No. 3?
More Likely Outcome – No. 4/5 starter
8. Neil Walker | 3b | B – B | Triple-A Indianapolis | Age – 23 | Drafted – Round 1 (11), 2004
Player Grades
Contact – 45 Now | 50 Future
Power – 45 | 50
Discipline – 40/45 | 50
Speed – 45 | 45
Defense – 55 | 55
Arm – 55 | 55
Instincts – 50 | 55
ETA – 2009
Final Grade – C+
Body Type – solid build, athletic
Scouting Report
Always young for his level, Walker has never put up a true breakout season. It looked like one was coming in 2008 after a solid campaign in Double-A Altoona in 2007, but he collapsed last season.
Walker had struggled with his patience until the 07′ season, where he saw his BB% soar to 10.8%. But he regressed in 2008 as it fell back to the 5% range. Making matters worse, he saw a sharp rise in his K% and the contact he made was softer because he was chasing pitches he should have been taking. However, he also ran into some bad luck as there were pitches he hit hard, but had nothing to show for.
Walker maintained the improvement in power he saw in 2007, but his overall power doesn’t project to much more than average. He does have power to all fields, however.
Walker is historically a little better from the right side of the plate and that trend continued last year.
Defense – Walker has a strong arm, decent range, and is able to get good breaks on balls off the bat. His speed is average.
Best Case Outcome – Average…maybe slightly below average everyday third baseman
More Likely Outcome – Four-corner utility player that could catch in a pinch
9. Jimmy Barthmaier | RHP | AAA Indianapolis | Age – 25 | Drafted – Round 13, 2003
Player Grades
Fastball – 50/55 Now | 50/55 Future
Curveball – 50/55 | 50/55
Change-Up – 40 | 45
Control – 45 | 50
Command – 50 | 50
Pitchability – 50 | 50
ETA – 2009
Final Grade – C+
Body Type – tall with a durable build
Stuff
Fastball – decent pitch in the low 90′s with solid life, but can lose command occasionally and it will straighten out at times
Curveball – good bite, but inconsistent…can range all the way from below average to plus. Below is the above average version of his curveball:
*Credit to Minor League Baseball
Change-Up – it’s improved, but still considered a below average offering
Scouting Report
After two years of very mediocre control, Barthmaier made some necessary progress by cutting a BB% that was in the 10′s down to about 9. The change occurred after he was promoted to Triple-A Indianapolis.
Barthmaier has worked his entire career as a starter, but it might be time to look at Barthmaier as a potential reliever. His stuff is inconsistent and he’ll flash plus stuff for 1 – 2 innings, but it doesn’t last for an entire outing.
Last year also unveiled a significant split in his control as it unravels against lefties though it traditionally hasn’t been as big as it was last season.
Barthmaier often struggles to consistently repeat his mechanics. His arm action is also long and a bit loopy, but he’s able to generate good arm speed.
Best Case Outcome – No. 5 starter or a solid middle reliever
More Likely Outcome – Swing man
10. Jarek Cunningham | SS | B – R | GCL (Rookie) | Age – 19 | Drafted – Round 18, 2008
Player Grades
Contact – 45 Now | 55 Future
Power – 45 | 55
Discipline – 40 | 50/55
Speed – 45 | 50
Defense – 45 | 55
Arm -50 | 55
Instincts – 50 | 60
ETA – 2013
Final Grade – C+
Body Type – projectable and athletic
Scouting Report
Cunningham’s had to answer questions about a knee injury that caused him to miss much of his senior season in high school. It looked as if those problems were behind him until it became known in the offseason that he was playing with a torn ACL. Now he will be out for the 2009 season.
It’s a disappointment considering how well he performed In the GCL. Cunningham posted a quadruple slash line of .315/.376/.507/.883 and the fact that he was going to be moved to shortstop this season (his natural position) makes the injury even more disheartening because it significantly increases his value. The hope is that he will still have the quickness and range to play the position once he’s fully recovered, but it’s definitely a question mark.
*Credit to the MLB Scouting Bureau
Cunningham doesn’t possess too long a swing and his swing plane is conducive to fly balls. He generally lets the ball travel deep into his hitting zone, and he’s able to generate considerable torque. He also makes it easier to track the ball into the strike zone by keeping his head still throughout his swing.
While Cunningham does have a good understanding of the strike zone, he is an aggressive hitter and will need to work on being more selective at the plate. Overall he’s an intriguing player because of his combination of natural ability and pure athleticism.
A torn ACL is not like a torn labrum and rotator cuff for a pitcher. It’s a long recovery process and Cunningham loses a year in development, but he should be able to make a full recovery without any lingering problems.
Best Case Outcome – Above average shortstop or average third baseman
More Likely Outcome – Too soon to say
11. Robbie Grossman | CF | B – B | GCL (Rookie) | Age – 19 | Drafted – Round 6, 2008
Grossman is somebody I compiled an earlier scouting report on, which you can read here. Everything still applies…I really like his tools, but he has a few tweaks to make. He’s raw with good upside and I suspect he’ll start next season in State College.
Grade – C+
ETA – 2013
12. Jeff Sues | RHP | Double-A Altoona | Age – 25 | Drafted – Round 5, 2005
Sues underwent shoulder surgery after being drafted in 2006 and returned as a starter in mid-2007 to mixed results. The Pirates eventually made the decision to put Sues in the bullpen last year, where he could go all out for one or two innings instead of having to pace himself as a starter. As a result, Sues’ velocity increased into the mid-90′s and he was allowed to essentially scrap his well below average change-up. Hitters have trouble catching up to his high heat, but the contact is often times hard when he doesn’t miss bats. His career HR-rate in the minors has been 1.4 though that is skewed by his 2.6 HR/9 in 2007. Sues projects as a solid set-up man at the MLB level or a role in middle relief.
Grade – C+
ETA – 2009
13. Quinton Miller | RHP | N/A | Age – 19 | Drafted – Round 20, 2008
Miller is an intriguing, very projectable right handed pitching prospect selected in the late rounds of the 2008 draft by. He was expected to be a very touch sign, by the Pirates managed to break him away from his commitment to North Carolina. He’s dealt with some health issues in the past, specifically a shoulder impingement during his junior season. Miller’s velocity was up-and-down all senior year, typically ranging in the 89 – 93 range, but occasionally dropping down to 86 – 87 mph. He has a hard breaking ball that profiles as average right now, but with plus potential and he’s shown a good feel for a change-up.
Miller is a solid athlete overall and has considerable room to add strength to his frame. His fastball is sneaky and gets on hitters quickly. His control is pretty solid and he looks to pound the strike zone, but he has to work on commanding his pitches.
Miller has a slight cross-body motion that he’ll want to correct because of the association with an increased risk of injury. He also lands stiffly and pitches somewhat uphill. On the plus side, Miller has excellent front side mechanics–notice how he firms the glove up to prevent his front shoulder from flying open. Also note how he keeps the glove firm out in front of his chest and how he brings the chest to the glove rather than the other way around. This helps Miller get better extension out in front, adding a deceptive element to his pitches because he’s releasing the ball just a little bit closer to home plate. If he’s able to fix his landing, he’ll be able to get better extension and give his arm a longer distance to decelerate, lowering his risk for potential injury.
*Credit to the MLB Scouting Bureau
Grade – C+
ETA – 2013
14. Evan Meek | RHP | MLB | Age – 25 | Drafted – Round 11, 2002
Meek is older than your typical prospect, but he’s MLB ready and has already logged 13 innings at the MLB level. His specialty is an ability to induce ground balls at a high rate with his heavy sink fastball, but he’s also shown an ability to miss a significant amount of bats. The biggest issue with Meek is his command. It improved last season, but he needs to work on further honing it. One issue is his fastball has such good natural movement that he struggles to place it in the spot wants. He profiles as a future middle reliever out of the Pittsburgh bullpen.
Grade – C+
ETA – 2009
15. Jaime Romak | OF/1b | Double-A Altoona | Age – 23 | Drafted – Round 4, 2003
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Honorable Mentions (in no particular order): James Negrych, Ron Uviedo, Chase D’Arnaud, Donald Veal, Brent Klinger, Dan Moskos
Also See: Pittsburgh Pirates Team Page
Up Next: St. Louis Cardinals, Prospects 1 – 5
Other references used for this article: First Inning and Minor League Splits
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