Pirates 2016 Minor League All-Stars

Best of each position in the Pirates system

By S. Samek

Every year, MiLB.com honors the top players in each major league teams’ minor league system. This process takes place over the span of a couple months, and the Pittsburgh Pirates will have theirs announced in December.

Let’s expedite the process and announce my Pirates organization all-star list.

Note: The players will come from the top four levels of the system, and prospects that have contributed in Pittsburgh significantly will be left out.

SP – Mitch Keller – RHP – West Virginia (A) and Bradenton (A+)

9-5 – 2.35 ERA – 24 GS – 130.1 IP – 138 SO – .212 BAA – 0.92 WHIP

Keller is the No. 5 prospect for the Pittsburgh Pirates’ system – one that ranks 11th overall.

In a previous post, I made the case as to why Keller will rise to the top prospect position in the Pirates’ system. Keller was named both Pitcher of the Year and Breakout Prospect of the Year by Tim Williams of PiratesProspects.com.

Keller has great upside as a pitcher after a breakout 2016 season. Keller will have a lot to prove, though, as all of his innings came at the A-ball level. Expect to see him in Double-A to start next year, which would be a similar progression path as current No. 1 prospect – Tyler Glasnow.

Keller is the highest-ranking pitcher in the Pirates prospect rankings other than Glasnow. Glasnow has seen time in the majors, and I expect him there to start the year with the Pirates, making Keller my pick at starting pitcher.

Live Life Like José Lived Life

By Kyle Dawson

Photo credit: floridagators.com

In the face of a tragedy like this one, a life lost way too soon should also be celebrated.

The loss of Jose Fernandez goes beyond baseball.

It goes beyond his future Hall-of-Fame type numbers. A 38-17 record, a 2.58 career ERA, a 2.44 career FIP (fielding independent pitching) and an 11.2 K/9 and all kinds of impressive statistics highlight his four-year career.

But, like I said, it goes beyond that.

El Paso Embraces the Chihuahuas

 Unique minor league baseball team name loved by locals

Photo credit: Yahoo Sports

By St. Samek

In 2013 the San Diego Padres packed up their Triple-A team and moved them to El Paso. Fans would get the opportunity to name the team from a list including the Aardvarks, Buckaroos, Chihuahuas, Desert Gators and Sun Dogs.

The winner was the intimidating three- to seven-pound Chihuahuas. The name got mixed reviews and a petition started on the internet to change the name. The petition gained more than 10,000 signatures.

Yet El Paso general manager Brad Taylor defended the name choice to MiLB.com (via Zack Cox of NESN.com):

“I’m sure I’m going to be hearing all sorts of views, but were standing by this. We have friends in a lot of other places, like the Iron Pigs, or the [Fort Wayne] Tin Caps, who stepped outside of their comfort zone to create a brand. That’s what we are doing here.”

After Strong Season, Mitch Keller Is a Top Three Pirates Prospect

By S. Samek

Photo credit: Tim Williams, piratesprospects

The Pirates’ minor league system, ranked 11th by Baseball America, is headlined by top pitching prospects Tyler Glasnow and Jameson Taillon. Supplement the pitching talent with center fielder Austin Meadows and first baseman Josh Bell and you have a system that gives fans hope for a many years to come.

Underneath all the elite talent at the top lays the next No. 1 prospect in the system. Though, for now he sits at No. 5 on the Pirates’ Top 30 prospect list by MLB.com. This prospect is Mitch Keller.

Keller is a 20-year-old right-handed pitcher. He was drafted in the second round with the 64th-overall pick.