MLB Pipeline has Paul Skenes as the No. 1 prospect for the Pittsburgh Pirates in its updated top 30 rankings and moved shortstop/third baseman Jack Brannigan into the top 10.
Skenes, the right-hander who was the No. 1 overall pick in the MLB Draft last July, is one of six pitchers ranked in the Pirates’ top 10. Right-hander Jared Jones is third, followed by lefty Anthony Solometo and righties Bubba Chandler, Thomas Harrington and Braxton Ashcraft at Nos. 4-7.
Second baseman Termarr Johnson, the 2022 first-round pick, ranks No. 2 overall and is the Pirates’ top position prospect. Shortstops Mitch Jebb and Tsung-Che Cheng rank eighth and ninth, respectively. Brannigan, a third-round pick out of Notre Dame in 2022, moved into the top 10 after splitting last season between Low-A Bradenton and High-A Greensboro.
Right-hander Mike Burrows, who missed last season after undergoing Tommy John surgery, slipped from eighth to No. 11. He’s followed by outfielder Lonnie White Jr., right-hander Zander Mueth, lefty Hunter Barco (who dropped from No. 9) and lefty Michael Kennedy in the top 15. Outfielder Shalin Polanco, shortstop Yordanny De Los Santos, righty Jun-Seok Shim, corner infielder Garrett Forrester and lefty Jackson Wolf round out the top 20.
Five new players cracked the top 30 rankings: right-hander Patrick Reilly (23), utility player Jesus Castillo (25), outfielder Tres Gonzalez (28), catcher Omar Alfonso (29) and outfielder Bralyn Brazoban (30). Five others dropped out of the rankings: outfielder Matt Gorski, first baseman Malcom Nunez, first basemen/outfielders Tony Blanco Jr. and Josiah Sightler and right-hander Po-Yu Chen.
