by Nes Lessman, for the Yellow Springs Journal
December 2, 2053
This is our second look at the lower farm teams, this time the Short A level Cat Island Pirates. They fell a little short of winning expectations, going 36-40, with a lot of their metrics being middle of the road (7th in OPS and bullpen ERA, but 10th in starter ERA and zone rating), a few good (3rd in home runs with 79, 5th in base running ability) and some bafflingly bad (15th in runs scored). It's a team that's got a lot of organizational filler and a few bright spots.
Starting Pitching:
There are 9 players on the active roster who started at least 1 game for the Pirates, which indicates two things: 1) A desire to see who can succeed as a starter and 2) this group of potential starters may not be very good.
It's probably a bit of both, but 2053 second round pick Luis Abdul-Halim definitely showed he was a solid selection. Though just 4-6 in 14 starts, he had a 3.18 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 1.2 bb/9 and 8.9 k/9, which they say added up into a WAR of 3. He's got a 5 pitch arsenal, and while nothing is overpowering, his ability to move, control, and vary his pitches appears to be working well. He'll definitely move into A ball next year.
At just 18, Santiago Castillo was the other starter of note, playing 19 games overall, 7 of which he began for the Pirates. A 3.09 ERA, .98 WHIP, and 2.8 bb/9 and 8.4 k/9, all of which remained roughly the same starting or relieving gives the team flexibility for his future. If he can grow into his potential, Castillo will make some noise, but probably needs another year in Short A. He was the 2052 6th round selection.
Bullpen:
The best pieces of this part of the staff are all very young. Erwin Sevier is only 18 but in his second year of Short A Ball. The 2052 second round pick has a big issue with letting people get on base (1.33 WHIP in 52, 1.34 in 53), which is pedestrian and makes the 16 saves he notched in 53 look less lustrous. He did get his ERA down to 2.30 from 3.29 and there will be some discussions I'm sure of moving him up to A ball, but it might depend on what the organization's needs are.
Pat Rhodes is also in his second year of short a, and is only 17. He was the selection for the Nine right after Sevier, but his stats from 2053 show a marked jump in improvement. His ERA went from 4.35 to 2.63 (though his FIP in 2053 was over 5, so it may not be as good as it seems), WHIP down from 1.40 to 1.17, and K/9 up to 7.9 from 7.0. A reduction in walks helped significantly. Despite his age, of the 2, Rhodes may be more ready for the call up.
19 years old and from the 2050 draft (6th round), Dave Gibbons is also under consideration, though this is just his first year at short A. He has a walk problem (4.8 per nine, which seems consistent now), but his k/9 is 11.4 for 2053 with a 3.02 ERA in 50 innings. He looks to be a good swing man, with 4 pitches and just enough stamina, but his control is a problem.
Starting Players:
There's no one in Short A that I would call a prospect. Tom West struggled at higher levels and was sent down to Short A to work on things. It improved his offense (.340, 11 HR, .961 OPS), but what happens when he's placed back in A ball in 2054? I don't think this is a player who's going to have a future, given he can only play first.
3B Huai-Yi Choi hit .263, and the former international free agent signing has a small amount of pop (9hr) and plays solid, if not amazing, defense (2.63 range, 3.6 zone rating, 1.046 efficiency). But if you're not hitting .300 in Short A ball, I'm not inclined to think you have potential.
No one else merits a mention.
Overall: The Pirates aren't going to steal anyone's hearts anytime soon. Not this group, at any rate. But with several rookie ball players coming up, they should be a much better team in 2054, giving some hope to fans. More quality in the depth of the draft and a few good minor league free agent signings should help here.
