Here are the Pirates' 2025 Top 30 prospects

It¡¯s pretty clear the Pirates know how to scout, sign and develop pitching. Just look at the big league rotation led by Paul Skenes, Jared Jones and Mitch Keller as examples of different homegrown paths. And there¡¯s more coming.

Bubba Chandler heads up the new Pirates¡¯ Top 30 list, and after reaching Triple-A, he¡¯s loudly knocking on the big league door. Other arms like No. 3 Thomas Harrington, No. 6 Braxton Ashcraft and even No. 7 Hunter Barco and No. 15 Mike Burrows -- all drafted and developed by the organization -- could impact the big league staff soon.

That, of course, begs the question: What about the hitters? That¡¯s been a little slower going, but there are some bats gathering at the upper levels. No. 5 Nick Yorke, acquired last year in the Quinn Priester trade with the Red Sox, is ready to contribute. So is trade acquisition Billy Cook, the return from the Orioles in the Patrick Reilly prospect-for-prospect deal. Termarr Johnson, the 2022 first-round pick, hasn¡¯t quite been the hitter expected when he went No. 4 overall, but he also reached Double-A at age 20.

He¡¯s just getting started, but 2024 first-round pick Konnor Griffin has the kind of loud all-around tools that¡¯s difficult not to be excited about, though the Mississippi prepster is a few years away. With pitching in the big leagues and pooling up at the upper levels, it¡¯s pretty evident the big league club will be able to compete because of that staff. How much the bats can step up, reach the big leagues and produce will be the determining factor of whether the Pirates can be involved in the NL Central race, now and in the future.

Here¡¯s a look at the Pirates' top prospects:
1. Bubba Chandler, RHP (MLB No. 15)
2. Konnor Griffin, SS/OF (MLB No. 43)
3. Thomas Harrington, RHP (MLB No. 80)
4. Termarr Johnson 2B (MLB No. 83)
5. Nick Yorke, 2B
Complete Top 30 list ?

Biggest jump/fall

Here are the players whose ranks changed the most from the 2024 preseason list to the 2025 preseason list:

Jump: Jhonny Severino, 3B/SS (2024: 26 | 2025: 12)
Originally signed by the Brewers in 2022 for $1.23 million, Severino came to the Pirates close to the 2023 Trade Deadline in the Carlos Santana deal. He barely got to put on the new uniform when a broken hamate ended his season. Healthy in 2024, he posted a .918 OPS with 10 homers in the Florida Complex League to earn a late bump up to full-season ball, where hit another six long balls.

Fall: Lonnie White, OF (2024: 12 | 2025: NR)
The raw tools and the athleticism are still there, as he showed in 2023 in Single-A Bradenton in one of the few times he was healthy for an extended stretch. His 89 games played in 2024 marked a career high, but he missed three months with injury. When he was on the field, it didn¡¯t go well with High-A Greensboro, posting a .167/.275/.340 line.

Best tools

Players are graded on a 20-80 scouting scale for future tools ¨C 20-30 is well below average, 40 is below average, 50 is average, 60 is above average and 70-80 is well above average. Players in parentheses have the same grade.

Hit: 55 -- Nick Yorke (Mitch Jebb)
Power: 60 -- Konnor Griffin
Run: 65 -- Konnor Griffin (Mitch Jebb)
Arm: 70 -- Konnor Griffin (Jack Brannigan)
Defense: 65 -- Tsung-Che Cheng
Fastball: 70 -- Bubba Chandler (David Matoma)
Curveball: 60 -- Levi Sterling
Slider: 60 -- Braxton Ashcraft (Bubba Chandler, Hunter Barco)
Changeup: 55 -- Thomas Harrington (Bubba Chandler, Michael Burrows, Carlson Reed)
Control: 60 -- Thomas Harrington

How they were built
Draft: 16 | International: 9 | Trade: 5

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Breakdown by ETA
2025: 7 | 2026: 7 | 2027: 8 | 2028: 5 | 2029: 2 | 2030: 1

Breakdown by position
C: 2 | 1B: 1 | 2B: 3 | 3B: | SS: 8 | OF: 4 | RHP: 10 | LHP: 2