20240225, The Pittsburgh Pirates face the Baltimore Orioles at LECOM Park, Bradenton, Florida (Photos by Harrison Barden)
This is one in a series breaking down players on the Pittsburgh Pirates’ 40-man roster.
Last month, the Pittsburgh Pirates had to add prospects eligible for the Rule 5 Draft to the 40-man roster to ensure they would be protected from being selected.
The Pirates added a whopping six players to the roster, but no decision was more surprising than that of infielder Jack Brannigan.
Pittsburgh selected Brannigan in the third round of the 2022 draft out of the University of Notre Dame. Originally announced as a two-way player, Brannigan has focused solely on being a position player during his professional career.
In four minor-league seasons in the organization, Brannigan owns a .245/.356/.454 batting line with 40 doubles, seven triples, 45 home runs, 151 RBI and 51 stolen bases in 251 games.
His 2025 season was cut short by a labrum injury and ensuing surgery. In 59 games with Double-A Altoona, the 24-year-old slashed .225/.329/.358 with eight doubles, two triples, five home runs, 30 RBI and went a perfect 9 for 9 in stolen base attempts.
Despite having his worst showing since a brief 28-game stint after being drafted, the Pirates felt it was necessary to protect him from being poached by another team. The decision is likely due to Brannigan’s skillset than his actual recent results.
Brannigan, who ranked No. 27 on our Pirates top 30 prospects list, is a good defender with a strong arm from the left side of the infield. He’s also an above-average runner with some power.
His defensive abilities and speed combined with some pop raise his floor, but his ceiling is limited by high strikeout totals (27.4% strikeout rate), which has led to a .233 batting average over the past two seasons.
With better health in 2026, Brannigan will likely begin the season back in Double-A Altoona. If he’s able to make more consistent contact, his high floor will get paired with a higher ceiling, and he could potentially become a more appealing prospect. But in what will be his age-25 season, the clock is ticking for Brannigan to do so.
Mentioned in this article: Pittsburgh Pirates
More about: Pirates