Pirates Prospect Watch: Quinn Priester Displays Mature Approach

Pirates’ affiliates went .500 on Sunday, with a phenomenal start from Pittsburgh’s 2019 first overall pick and a two homer game from catcher Shawn Ross.

Triple-A Indianapolis put up six runs in the first inning, four on a grand slam from Mike Jarvis, which carried them to a 6-1 win over the Iowa Cubs. Quinn Priester got the start, allowing just one hit over seven scoreless innings and inducing weak contact despite landing just 59 percent of his pitches for strikes. Priester also induced two double plays and logged 13 groundouts without a single flyball.

The Altoona Curve lost 12-5 to the Erie Sea Wolves, getting shelled through the middle innings after Po-Yu Chen managed just four innings of one-run ball.

The Grasshoppers logged a 5-4 comeback win over the Greenville Drive. P.J. Hilson put Greensboro ahead for good with a solo shot in the eighth.

The Bradenton Marauders scored six runs across the eighth and ninth innings, but fell just short in an 8-7 loss to the Dunedin Blue Jays.

Here’s a look at the top performing Pirates’ prospects to round out the week.

Triple-A Indianapolis (23-25)

RHP Quinn Priester

• Game: 7 IP, 0 ER, 1 hit allowed, 3 K’s.
• Season: 24.2 IP, 3.28 ERA, 29 K’s in 24.2 IP.

2B Andrés Alvarez

• Game: 2-for-5 with a homer.
• Season: .260/.318/.429 with 4 doubles and 3 homers in 22 games between Bradenton and Indianapolis.

Double-A Altoona (14-31)

C Wyatt Hendrie

• Game: 2-for-4 with a double.
• Season: .226/.314/.355 with 4 doubles in 12 games.

RHP Po-Yu Chen

• Game: 4 IP, 1 ER, 2 K’s.
• Season: 39.1 IP, 5.72 ERA, 19 K’s in 9 appearances (8 starts).

High-A Greensboro (26-19)

C Shawn Ross

• Game: 2-for-4 with 2 homers.
• Season: .153/.351/.482 with 4 doubles and 8 homers in 29 games.

RF P.J. Hilson

• Game: 2-for-4 with a homer.
• Season: .230/.287/.500 with a double, a triple and 8 homers in 31 games between Bradenton and Greensboro.

Single-A Bradenton (20-25)

2B Wesley Zapata

• Game: 2-for-4 with a double.
• Season: .175/.244/.250 with a double and a triple in 15 games between rookie ball and Bradenton.

CF Solomon Maguire

• Game: 1-for-3 with a homer and a walk.
• Season: .229/.308/.471 with a double, 2 triples and 4 homers in 24 games.