Pirates Pitching Prospect That's Flying Under the Radar

Sep 8, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of a Pittsburgh Pirates hat and glove before a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the first inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Pirates Pitching Prospect That's Flying Under the Radar

Originally posted on Pittsburgh Pirates on SI
By Dominic Campbell | Last updated May 20, 2026 9:00 AM ET

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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates have a plethora of talented prospects in their farm system, including those just starting to find their place as professionals.

One of those players is left-handed pitcher Reinold Navarro, who is with Single-A Bradenton and putting up some impressive stats.

Navarro is only 19 years old and joined the Pirates in the 2024 International Signing Period for $270,000 from Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic.

His play with Bradenton is something scouts are noticing and also could earn him a promotion to High-A Greensboro in the near future.

What Makes Navarro So Promising for Pirates

Navarro is a southpaw, always a desire for MLB teams to have for their future, while standing 6-foot, 178 pounds as well.

What makes Navarro stand out is his four-seam fastball, which he averages around 96-97 mph, but gets an incredible 21-22 inches of induced vertical break, which puts him amongst the pitchers with the best vertical movement on their fastball.

There is concern with his fastball, throwing it for strikes just 54.5% of the time last season, but the potential for him to add some ticks onto it and improve his command would make him a dangerous pitcher for the future.

He combines his fastball with a gyro-slider, which has great movement on it 42-43 inches of vertical drop, that also baffles hitters, Navarro also has a changeup, which he uses sparingly, but serves as a good addition for a developing pitch mix.

Navarro has posted some impressive K/9 rates, including 13.88 in 2024 with Pirates Black in the Dominican Summer League, then 17.26 in 2025 with both the Florida Complex League (FCL) Pirates and Bradenton, and 14.77 this season.

It is also coupled with high BB/9 rates of 7.88 in 2024, 11.25 in 2025 and 7.39 in 2026, showing some issues with command.

His pitch mix isn't complete yet, but Navarro putting up the stats he has makes him an exciting watch going forward.

Navarro Dominating in New Role With Bradenton

Navarro originally started the first three games with Bradenton in 2026, but after giving up five earned runs over seven innings, he moved to a bulk relief role out of the bullpen.

He has now thrived following that change, with a 2-0 record in four appearances, a 1.26 ERA over 14.1 innings pitched, 26 strikeouts to six walks, a .130 batting average allowed (BAA) and a 0.84 WHIP.

Navarro has posted a 16.7 K/9 rate since moving to the bullpen and has struck out at least five batters per outing, including posting a season-high nine strikeouts in his last appearance vs. Fort Myers on May 14.

The Pirates may decide that Navarro is better suited for a reliever role and that's not a bad idea, just with how effective he is coming out of the bullpen and shutting games down late.

Navarro is on the right path right now and should join fellow top Pirates pitching prospect Seth Hernandez at Greensboro this season.

This article first appeared on Pittsburgh Pirates on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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