The Pirates Farm System Is STACKED — Breaking Down BA’s Top 10 Prospects for 2026

The Pirates Farm System Is STACKED — Breaking Down BA’s Top 10 Prospects for 2026

Hey everyone, Jim here. You’re tuned into the Northshore 9 podcast presented by FanDuel. The Pittsburgh Pirates farm system might finally be where fans have dreamed it could be. Loaded with impact arms, athletic bats, and players who could define the next era of baseball in Pittsburgh. Baseball America just released its brand new top 10 pirates prospects list. And this group looks stacked. We’ve got power arms on the rise, breakout bats in the lower levels, and a teenage shortstop who might be one of the best position players the organization has developed in years. So, let’s break it all down from number 10 all the way to number one. This is the Baseball America Top 10 Pirates prospects for the 2026 offseason. Coming in at number 10 on Baseball America’s new Pirates top 10 is outfielder and first baseman as Merlin Valdez. One of the biggest power risers in the system over the past two years. Valdez signed for $130,000 out of the Dominican Republic back in 2021 and he’s turned himself into one of the most dangerous young power bats in the miners. In 2025, he split time between HA Greensboro and DoubleA Altuna, hitting 286 with a 376 on base percentage, 520 slugging, and 26 home runs in 123 games. That power surge got him ranked third among players 21 or younger in home runs in all of the minors and landed him a trip to the futures game. The big development this year was the strikeout rate. It dropped from around 30% in 2024 down to 24% thanks to a mechanical tweak that got his hands set up a little higher and helped him stay through the zone longer. Scouts say his 90th percentile exit velocity jumped nearly 3 mph from last year, which shows the adjustments are sticking. Valdez still has some holes. High fast balls and sliders away can give him some trouble, but the raw pop is legit. He’s a pull-heavy right-handed hitter who draws Randall Gritic comps. Strong, aggressive, and capable of carrying a lineup in stretches. Defensively, he’s probably limited to the corners or first base. But if the bat continues to play like it did this year, he could find himself in Pittsburgh’s outfield mix by late 2026. At number nine is Wilbur Dotell, a hard-throwing righty who’s quietly turned himself into one of the most interesting arms in the Pirate system. Doella was an older international signing. He didn’t join the organization until he was 18, late in the 2020 scouting cycle, but he’s made steady levelby level progress since. He spent all of 2025 in double Altuna where he logged 125 innings with 131 strikeouts, an 8% walk rate, and a 4.15 erra. It was the most innings thrown by any Pirates minor leaguer this past season. The big development, velocity. Over the past two seasons, Dotel has added about five miles per hour to his fast ball. He’s now sitting 96. He touches triple digits. He pairs that with a firm mid80s slider that flashes plus and a new splitter that he started commanding more consistently in 2025. When he’s right, it’s three legitimate pitches and the raw stuff ranks among the most electric in Pittsburgh’s farm. Now, the challenge is sequencing and finishing at bats. His 24% strikeout rate lags a bit behind the quality of his stuff and he still has a tendency to overthrow in two strike counts. But what’s encouraging is that his strike throwing has improved, landing at least 60% of his pitches in the zone. So it’s not a control issue. It’s more about learning how to use his weapons efficiently. If the refinement continues, Dotell has a real chance to start long term. If not, his power fastball splitter combo could make him a high lever bullpen weapon in the near future. Either way, he’s trending firmly upward. At number eight, it’s Hunter Barco, the 6’4 in lefty out of Florida, who’s been one of the Pirates most intriguing pitching developments over the last two seasons. He was a second round pick in 2022. His journey has been a grind. Tommy John’s surgery ended his college career and then a stress fracture in 2024 slowed his climb. But in 2025, Pittsburgh finally got a healthy season and he delivered. Across DoubleA Altuna and AAA Indianapolis, Barco posted a 2.81 erra with 116 strikeouts in 99 innings, earning a September debut with the big league club. Barco isn’t really a power arm. He sits around 93 mph, touches 95 or 96, but it’s the deception that makes him so tough. His fastball comes from a low slot with heavy run and ride, creating a nasty angle that plays way above the radar gun. He commands it for strikes nearly 70% of the time and he’s learned to pair it with a mid80s splitter that’s become a legit out pitch. He also mixes in a low80s slider with big lateral sweep and an emerging cutter that helps him steal some strikes, especially against lefties. When he’s right, Barco just keeps hitters uncomfortable. Everything moves differently than they expect. The question with him isn’t the stuff, it’s the durability and consistency. His deliver is a little crossbodied which adds deception but can cause his release to wander especially later in outings. But after reaching 100 innings for the first time and flashing plus command in stretches, Barco has shown he can handle a full workload. If he keeps throwing strikes and sustaining velocity, he’s got backend starter upside, maybe more. If not, he’s a perfect fit as a multi-inninging lefty out of the bullpen. Either way, expect him to compete for a big league rotation spot this spring. At number seven, we’ve got Antoine Kelly, a 22-year-old righty who’s quietly become one of the most exciting under the radar arms in the Pirate system. He was signed out of Aruba back in 2021. Uh, his development has been steady, but 2025 was the real breakout between Hay Greensboro and double Altuna. He threw 107 innings with a 3.02 02 ERA, 116 strikeouts, and a career best 7.7% walk rate. For a guy who just a year earlier was still finding his rhythm after an oblique injury, it’s a massive leap. A big part of that jump came from his body transformation. Since signing, Kelly has added 3 in in height uh and over 60 pounds of of strength, and the added power completely reshaped his arsenal. His fast ball now sits at 97 and touches 101, carrying Strong Life through the zone, and he commands it well, about around 70% strikes. He pairs it with an upper 80s slider that flashes plus when it’s on and a surprisingly advanced change up that gets a ton of whiffs thanks to its vertical separation. The stuff is there. What Kelly’s still refining is consistency both with his slider and his delivery. He’s got a tendency to lose shape on the breaking ball and has had to shelf his cutter to focus on tightening that pitch. But with above average control and the ability to hold velocity deep into starts, he’s really set himself up for a legitimate shot at a rotation roll. If he continues this trajectory, Kelly projects as a mid-rotation starter. But there’s also some late inninning bullpen upside if the slider really sharpens up. Either way, 2025 was the year he put himself firmly on the radar, and 2026 could be the year he pitches his way to Pittsburgh. At number six is Termar Johnson, the 21-year-old second baseman who’s been one of the more fascinating long-term projects in the Pirate system. Pittsburgh took Johnson fourth overall in 2022, building him as one of the most polished high school hitters of the last decade. A compact left-handed bat with elite plate discipline and plus bat speed. Three years later, that advanced approach is still his calling card. Johnson spent all of 2025 in double Altuna, hitting .272 with a 363 on base percentage and a 119 later runs created plus. He started slow but finished the year scorching, batting 326 over his final 36 games. The power wasn’t really there late with just one homer after July 1st, but the quality contact and his command of the strike zone took a real step forward. He’s always been known for his eye. His career walk rates have been elite, but in 2025, he also posted a career best 75% contact rate. And that balance between patience and aggression is what the Pirates have been pushing for. When he’s on time, Tamar’s bat speed and compact stroke let him hammer pitches to his pull side with authority. Though Altuna’s Park definitely muted some of his pop. Defensively, he’s now a full-time second baseman after the club phased out his shortstop reps. He’s got soft hands and good instincts, but the fringe arm probably caps him at the keystone position. The key for Jonathan is going to be impact, finding enough power to complement the approach and become a true everyday regular. If that all clicks, he still projects as a top of the order type with on base skills and sneaky pop. And while his development’s been slower than fans might have expected, it’s important to remember he’s still just 21 years old. He’s already holding his own in double A and he could reach Pittsburgh by late 2026 if the adjustments stick. At number five is Raphael Flores, a name Pirates fans got familiar with after the David Bednar trade this past summer. Flores’s story is wild. He went undrafted in 2022 after playing at a couple of junior colleges and a summer stint in Alaska where the Yankees spotted him and signed him for just th for just 75 grand. Three years later, that bargain signing has turned into one of the systems loudest power bats. Flores is built like a tank. He’s 6’4 220 and brings that same physicality into the box. Over the past two seasons, he’s hit 20 plus homers each year, including 22 homers and 88 RBI’s in 2025 across double A, AAA, and a brief debut with Pittsburgh. His raw power produces some of the highest exit velocities in the system. And when he connects, it’s easy plus juice to all fields. But with that comes the swing and miss. Floor is whiffed nearly a third of the time in 2025, and pitchers have had success beating him with velocity at the top of the zone and sliders in. The Pirates are working to shorten his move to the ball and get him more consistent on the inner half. If he can find that balance, the 25 homer potential really plays. Behind the plate, Flores is a work in progress. His receiving and blocking have improved, but his throwing accuracy and transfer remain inconsistent. Still, his big frame, leadership, and power bat make him a viable option at both catcher and first base, giving the Pirates some lineup flexibility heading into 2026. The floor here is a powerhitting backup who can spot start behind the plate and mash lefties. The ceiling, a legit everyday first uh an everyday bat first catcher who can change games with one swing. Either way, Flores should be in the mix for a big league roster spot this spring. At number four, it’s the Pirates first round pick in 2025, right-hander Seth Hernandez. One of the most advanced high school pitchers to enter the system in years. Hernandez was taken sixth overall out of Corona High School in California, signing for 7.25 million. He came in with a reputation for polish, athleticism, and pure stuff. This is a kid who was drawing national attention well before the draft. He was the MVP of the National High School Invitational. He was dominant at the area code games and widely considered one of the most complete prep arms in the class. Standing 6’4, 195 pounds, Hernandez already sits in the mid to upper 90s, touching 100. And scouts think he’ll live there consistently as he fills out. What separates him isn’t just velocity, it’s feel. He commands four pitches, including a plus plus change up. That’s already his best weapon. a sharp 12-6 curveball and a mid80s slider that’s tightened up since turning pro. He throws strikes, repeats his delivery, and shows a calm presence beyond his years. The only question mark scouts raised before the draft was whether his fastball shape would consistently miss bats at the next level. But the Pirates love his makeup and they’ve been proactive about refining that pitch as part of his early development plan. He’s drawn some lofty comps. Think Hunter Green and Jackson Job. and for good reason. With that kind of athleticism, elite change up feel, and a clean, efficient delivery, Hernandez projects as a true frontline starter if everything clicks. He’s just 19, so the Pirates will take it slow, likely debuting him in low A Bradenton or the Complex League in 2026. But Hernandez already looks the part of the organization’s next potential ace in the making. Coming in at number three is Edward Florentino. One of the biggest breakout stories in the entire pirate system this past year. Signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2024 for $395,000, Florentino wasted no time making a name for himself. Just a year later at 19 years old, he tore through both the Florida Complex League and Single A Braenton, combining to hit 290, 400, 548 with 16 homers and 35 steals in 83 games. That kind of production from a teenager in full season ball is rare, and it’s made Florentino one of the fastest rising prospects in Pittsburgh’s organization. What stands out most is his combination of discipline, bat speed, and damage. He made contact nearly 90% of the time in 2025 while also showing plus raw power to all fields. His left-handed swing has natural loft and impressive rhythm. It’s a swing built for modern power without the wild chase rates you normally see from young sluggers. Scouts have raved about how advanced his approach is for his age. He rarely expands the zone, hunts, strikes, and when he gets them, he punishes them. The Pirates think there’s even more strength to come as he fills out his 6’4 frame, which could push him into could push his power into like 25 to 30 homer territory. Defensively, Florentino’s athleticism gives him options. He’s played mostly center field, but as he fills out, he may slide to a corner. Either way, he runs well, takes smart routes, and has shown a strong sense of the game that reminds some evaluators of fellow top prospect Connor Griffin. Even if he ends up in a corner, the offensive foundation, contact, power, and discipline gives him the ceiling of a middle of the order bat with all-star potential. At number two is Bubba Chandler. One of the most dynamic and electric arms the Pirates have developed in years. Chandler’s story is well known by now. He’s a two sports standout who could have played quarterback at Clemson. The Pirates convinced him to sign for $3 million as a third round pick back in 2021. It took a few years for the pure athleticism to translate into polish, but by 2025, Chandler had officially arrived. He opened the season in AAA Indianapolis and was dominant early, a 2.03 RA and a 35% strikeout rate through May before a rocky midsummer stretch tested his command. but he writed the ship and earned his MLB debut on August 16th where he looked every bit the part racking up 31 strikeouts to just four walks in 31 innings. The calling card is that elite fast ball. Chandler’s heater now sits around 98 to 99 mph and has touched 102 with big carry at the top of the zone. He holds that velocity deep into starts thanks to his athletic delivery and ex his extension. His change up, low 90s with heavy tail, is his second best swing and miss option. With his slider and curveball, both give him quality secondary looks that keep hitters guessing. What separates him is the athleticism and the competitiveness. He repeats his delivery better than most power arms and continues to refine his strike throwing. When he’s locked in, it’s overpowering stuff across the board. But when he loses feel for his fast ball, his command can waver and leave him vulnerable to barrels. The Pirates have worked closely with Chandler on sequencing and rhythm, and he’s shown big strides there, learning when to lean on the change up instead of just trying to blow hitters away. If the command holds, Chandler has legitimate number two starter potential, sitting right behind Paul SK in the rotation. The pure stuff already plays at that level. It’s just a matter of consistency now. And at number one, the crown jewel of the Pirates farm system, Connor Griffin. The 19-year-old shortstop might just be the most exciting prospect Pittsburgh has drafted in decades. Selected ninth overall in 2024 and signed for $6.53 million, Griffin stormed onto the scene in his first full professional season, winning minor league player of the year honors after an absurd 333, 415, 527 slashline with 21 homers, 65 stolen bases, and 94 RBI’s across three levels. Those numbers made history. Griffin became just the fifth drafted teenager ever to hit 20 plus homers and steal 40 plus bases in a season. Physically, Griffin looks like an NFL safety at 6’4, 225 lbs. And he plays like one, two, explosive, fast twitch, and relentless. He posts some of the highest exit velocities of any teenager in baseball and pairs that with plus speed and defensive versatility. He began 2025 as a shortstop, but showed the athleticism to handle center field, giving the Pirates a potential star at two premium positions. What’s most impressive is how quickly he’s adapted. Scouts entered the year wondering if Griffin could make enough contact against pro pitching. He answered that emphatically by cutting a strikeout rate below 22% and posting a contact rate north of 75% while facing advanced arms. He retoled his swing in the offseason, cleaned up his barrel path, and handled velocity better than most big league rookies do. Defensively, he’s made big strides as well. Quick feet, a strong arm, and only seven errors in his first season at shortstop. Combine that with elite instincts and leadership qualities, and it’s easy to see why evaluators view him as a future five tool franchise cornerstone. Griffin’s combination of power, speed, defense, and maturity has people around the league buzzing. A 2026 MLB or like early MLB debut isn’t out of the question here. And if he keeps progressing, he has MVP level upside. The Pirates have been waiting for a player who can change the organiz organization’s trajectory, and Connor Griffin might just be that guy. Matt’s baseball America’s top 10 pirates prospects heading into 2026. From Connor Griffin’s superstar trajectory to Bubba Chandler’s frontline potential and young talents like Edward Florentino and Seth Hernandez coming fast. This is a farm system that that’s looking quite strong. Uh let us know which prospect you’re most excited about and who you think could make the biggest impact in 2026. Also, don’t forget to like, subscribe, and follow for more Pirates content. Let’s go box.

The Pittsburgh Pirates farm system is deeper than it’s been in years — and Baseball America’s new Top 10 Pirates Prospects list proves it. From Konnor Griffin’s superstar trajectory, to Bubba Chandler’s frontline upside, to breakout bats like Edward Florentino and Esmerlyn Valdez, this system is loaded with future impact talent.

In this video, Jim breaks down every prospect #10 through #1 with full scouting reports, stats, tools, timelines, and why each player could shape the next era of baseball in Pittsburgh.

Prospects covered:
• Esmerlyn Valdez
• Wilber Dotel
• Hunter Barco
• Antwone Kelly
• Termarr Johnson
• Rafael Flores
• Seth Hernandez
• Edward Florentino
• Bubba Chandler
• Konnor Griffin

If you’re a Pirates fan, this is your full guide to the organization’s brightest young stars heading into 2026.

Comment below: Who are you most excited about?

Subscribe for more Pirates breakdowns, prospect analysis, and NS9 content every week.

#Pirates #LetsGoBucs #MLBProspects #NorthShoreNine #PittsburghPirates