6-22-24 – By Ethan Smith – @mvp_EtHaN
The High-A affiliate to the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Greensboro Grasshoppers, defeated Hudson Valley 4-2 on Thursday, winning the first half championship for the first time since 2012 and officially clinching a playoff spot in this year’s SAL Playoffs.
There has no doubt been impactful players on the Grasshoppers roster, but the hope is that some can grow into impactful players for the Pirates at some point.
Some of these may be names you’ve heard before, some may be completely new to you, but all of these players could have a real shot at the big league roster in due time if they continue to develop their craft and mold in professional baseball players.
2B Termarr Johnson
Termarr Johnson is the clear cut player on Greensboro’s roster that has the best shot to crack the big league roster, maybe as soon as next season.
Johnson, the number four overall pick in 2022(in between Henry Davis and Paul Skenes), has had quite the minor league career already between Low-A Bradenton and Greensboro, posting an .807 OPS with 25 homers and 91 RBIs with 26 stolen bases in 624 at-bats.
This season though, Johnson has struggled a bit at Greensboro, which is notoriously a hitter friendly park, hitting .217 with six homers and a .741 OPS, but an .845 OPS in the month of June suggests a good second half is on the way for Johnson.
Johnson is currently the Pirates second ranked prospect and highest position player in the system for Pittsburgh via MLB Pipeline and he just cracked 20 years old last week, so he has plenty of time to grow into his craft, which out of the draft, was considered one of the best as far as hitting is concerned that scouts had seen in quite some time.
He is also settling into a new position at second base, having played shortstop for his entire high school career, and although he is not a plus-defender despite his immense range (he’s 5-foot-8), his bat will no doubt be his calling card and eventually put him in place to be a strong middle infield option for the Pirates late in 2025 or early 2026.
3B Charles McAdoo
Charles McAdoo, 22, has had one heck of a season for the Grasshoppers, posting a .976 OPS with nine homers and 52 RBIs in 223 at-bats.
McAdoo has been impressive in his early minor league career overall since being selected in the 13th round last season, posting a .326 batting average with 14 home runs and 76 RBIs, so he’s been a steady offensive presence since his arrival to professional baseball.
McAdoo does round out the Pirates top-30 prospects on MLB Pipeline, and the San Jose State product was considered somewhat of a low-risk pick that late in the draft for Pittsburgh, seeing as he entered professional baseball with a good grasp on tapping into his power and handling any pitch thrown at him well, especially high velocity, which we all know is a massive part of today’s game.
Like Johnson, McAdoo played a different position before his arrival to the Pirates system, playing primarily second base for the Spartans in college, but his arm talent suggests he could stick at the hot corner, but he could be a plus-outfield option if the Pirates do decide with his plus-arm talent(50 grade). McAdoo is also 6-foot-1, 210 pounds, so a potential move to first base could be an option as well.
No matter the position, if McAdoo continues to hit the baseball well, he’ll climb through the system, and have to prove it at higher levels, and if he does, the Pirates will find a place for him down the line.
OF Lonnie White Jr.
A former football and baseball player in high school, Lonnie White Jr. decided baseball was the right path for himself, rather than going to play for the Penn State Nittany Lions and head coach James Franklin.
White Jr., 21, was selected 64th overall as a compensatory pick in 2021 out of high school, and one thing was apparent immediately, the kid is an athlete.
The Malvern Prep product has showcased that in his minor league career so far, stealing 25 bags in 448 at-bats and posting a .794 OPS along the way. So far this season, the bat hasn’t quite followed up his White Jr.’s athleticism, as he’s batting .168 with a .664 OPS, but much like other athletes in baseball, listen to Gary, Jim Stamm and Jeff Carr on this week’s Pirates Fan Forum, when they discussed Oneil Cruz and Elly de la Cruz, these types of players learn the game of baseball as they go, letting their athleticism carry them through rough patches and through the successful moments.
White Jr. slots in as the 11th ranked Pirates prospect on MLB Pipeline, ranking as the highest outfielder in the system, and that athleticism is awarded with a 70-run grade while his arm(50-grade) and fielding(60-grade), are already plusses. His hitting will surely come along with a 50-power grade, but keep in mind, this is a player that dealt with injuries right after being drafted, playing a mere 11 games from 2021-2022 before finally having a mostly healthy campaign last year.
He profiles as a center fielder with the plus-speed and fielding long-term, and if he can stay healthy and continue to improve at the plate, White Jr. has the makings of a potential 5-tool player for the Pirates down the line.
3B/SS Jack Brannigan
Jack Brannigan, much like Johnson, cracked the top-10 for Pirates prospects in MLB Pipeline’s rankings before the season began, mainly due to having immense success last season in Bradenton and Greensboro, where he nearly had a 20-20 campaign.
Brannigan, 23, has a career .810 OPS in the minors, with a bit of a dip in offensive production this year, as that number has fell to a .739, which is more than acceptable. He’s still found a way to utilize his plus-power(50-grade) though, hitting seven homers in 181 at-bats, which amounts to a homer about every 26 at-bats.
One word that described Brannigan? Toolsy. Brannigan was a former relief pitcher along with playing third base for Notre Dame, and he doubled down by both pitching and hitting in the Cape Cod League in 2021, where he also had considerable success.
Obviously Brannigan won’t be a pitcher as a professional, but with his toolset featuring plusses as a power hitting, above average fielder, it creates an interesting dynamic for his career path.
The saving grace for Brannigan despite his offensive numbers not exactly being flashy is that he absolutely hits the ball hard nearly every time he’s in the box, and along with that, he places the ball all over the field.
There’s no doubt Brannigan has the tools, he just has to grow into them, and if he can, he could be an interesting platoon like player with a plus-arm and plus-power moving forward.
LHP Hunter Barco
If you listen to Locked On Pirates, you’ve probably heard me mention Hunter Barco‘s name every now and then when I talk about the “Pirates Pitching Factory”, and it’s for good reason.
Barco, 23, ranks 13th on the board as far as Pirates prospects are concerned, which is warranted as a second-round selection from 2022 out of Florida.
Barco didn’t get a chance to hardly get started out of the gate though, as he tore his UCL and had to have Tommy John Surgery in May 2022, sidelining him for the entirety of his first professional season. He eventually returned in June of last season, and since, he’s showcased why he was worthy of a second-round selection.
Through 20 career starts and 22 appearances, Barco has a 3.66 ERA, 84 strikeouts, 25 walks and a 1.25 WHIP through 66.1 innings. Now those numbers don’t exactly fly off the page, or well desktop in this case, but he’s thrown strikes 66-percent of the time, including 70-percent last season, which has a direct correlation to his control, which comes in at a 50-grade right now.
One thing carrying Barco right now is his secondary pitches, as his slider(60-grade) and changeup(55-grade) actually grade out higher than his fastball right now(50-grade), so he already has a pretty advanced arsenal of pitches at such a young age.
His arm movement has also improved but remained deceiving, which was a concern out of the draft for him, but at 6-foot-4, Barco is a tank, and if he can use his three pitch arsenal with consistency, he should continue to profile as a starter moving forward.
Other Notables
RHP Patrick Reilly:
Patrick Reilly was a 5th-round selection in the 2023 for the Pirates, and as a reliever at Vanderbilt, he’s morphed into a starting role, for now, with Greensboro and seen success, having a 3.18 ERA and leading the Grasshoppers in innings pitched with 56.2. If Reilly can gain better command and throw more strikes, he should have success through the system.
INF Mitch Jebb:
Mitch Jebb, like Reilly, was selected in last year’s draft, already profiling with a high contact tool. He’s struggled in Greensboro, as evidence to his .558 OPS, but the second-round selection has tons of time to grow into his craft and doesn’t even really know what position he’ll be playing long-term in the system just yet. His plus-speed should also help him find a role down the line if the bat continues to come along.
1B/C Nick Cimillo:
Nick Cimillo is listed as a catcher but has played nearly every game with Greensboro as a first baseman this year, showcasing some defensive versatility. Cimillo is not a top-30 prospect, but he’s performing well in Greensboro, posting a 1.058 OPS in 118 at-bats with 12 homers, so he’s showcasing some power. Cimillo could make an impact down the line, but he’ll have to continue to be impactful with the bat to do so.
These players are all still very far away from impacting the big league roster, but they are making impacts down on the farm, which warrants attention, especially considering the Pirates window for competing seems to be opening by the day.
Watch these guys grow, get a sense of how they play, what they’re good at, and you’ll feel almost rewarded if and when they do arrive on the North Shore, and lastly, congrats to the Greensboro Grasshoppers on a strong first half.
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