Drafted in the seventh round out of the University of Minnesota, Connor Wietgrefe didn’t waste any time, jumping right into pro ball and logging 10 innings with Low-A Bradenton to close out the 2024 season.

This past year, his first full in pro ball, he went from Bradenton (a rehab start), all the way to Double-A Altoona, posting a collective 3.10 ERA along the way. He logged 116 innings, one of the highest totals among Pirates minor leaguers, while walking only 25 (5.5% walk rate). 

It’s a three-pitch mix, and while he doesn’t throw hard, Wietgrefe makes up for it through a deceptive delivery, as well as his ability to hit his spots and change speeds.

The fastball sits in the lower 90s, but he’s still able to get some swing and miss at the top of the zone due to a flat approach angle. He follows that up with a slider and a change-up. The slider he can throw for strikes on both sides of the strike zone, and the offspeed gets good fade to keep right-handed hitters off balance.

Wietgrefe doesn’t have the upside that some of the other prospects in the system have, but there is some makings of a back-of-the-rotation starter/multi-inning reliever there, especially due to his ability to throw strikes.