When Baseball American unveiled its new top 10 prospects in the Pittsburgh Pirates farm system Monday, shortstop Oneil Cruz remained No. 1 but a new face rose into the top-five rankings.
Cruz, 23, enters the offseason as the top prospect after a smashing major league debut in October, when his first hit was a 118.2-mph single that set a club Statcast record for hardest hit and then hit a two-run home run in his final at-bat of the season.
Oneil Cruz. Huge power.
— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) November 22, 2021
He headlines our brand new Pirates rankings entering 2022 ⬇️https://t.co/dICSqu0D57
(???? @YoungBucsPIT)
pic.twitter.com/P4zOXro0qN
Roansy Contreras moved up two spots to No. 4, making him the highest-ranked pitcher in the organization. The 22-year-old right-hander made his MLB debut against the Chicago Cubs on Sept. 29, striking out four while giving up three hits and one walk in three scoreless innings of a 3-2 loss. Baseball America rated Contreras as having the best fastball in the Pirates’ farm system.
Contreras, one of four players acquired from the New York Yankees last January in the Jameson Taillon trade, jumped over 2019 first-round pick Quinn Priester, who slipped from third to sixth despite earning High-A East League pitcher of the year honors last season at Greensboro.
Catcher Henry Davis, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft, remains ranked second, followed by 2020 first-rounder Nick Gonzales, Contreras and shortstop Liover Peguero. Baseball America also rated Gonzales at the best hitter for average in the system.
Catcher Endy Rodriguez, acquired from the New York Mets last January as part of the three-way deal that sent Joe Musgrove to San Diego, made the biggest jump. Rodriguez rocketed from No. 17 to No. 7.
Right-hander Michael Burrows, rated as having the best curveball in the system, also moved up from No. 10 to eighth. Jared Jones, a righty who was the 2020 second-round pick, jumped from 12th to ninth. Right-hander Carmen Mlodzinski, a first-round compensation pick in ’20, slipped from eighth to 10th.
Two players dropped out of the top 10. Infielder Tucupita Marcano was ranked seventh after being acquired from the San Diego Padres in the Adam Frazier trade. Outfielder Hudson Head, also acquired from the Padres in the Musgrove trade, was ranked ninth.
