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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 Rising Prospect Earns Weekly Honors

Originally posted on Pittsburgh Pirates on SI
By Dominic Campbell | Last updated Sep 16, 2025 9:00 AM ET

PITTSBURGH — A Pittsburgh Pirates prospect has played well in recent months, culminating in the best week of his season at the end of the campaign.

Infielder Duce Gorson, playing with the Altoona Curve in Double-A, earned Eastern League Player of the Week honors for his performances in the final six-game series of the season vs. the Erie Seawolves, the Double-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers, Sept 8-14 on the road.

Gorson slashed .417/.462/.708 for an OPS of 1.170 in those six games, with 10 hits in 24 at-bats, four doubles, one home run, five doubles, two walks to eight strikeouts and two stolen bases.

This also included him getting a career-high four hits on five at-bats vs. Erie on Sept. 10, as well as his home run, a double and two RBIs in the 3-2 loss.

He led the Eastern League in hits, OPS and extra-base hits (four), helping him earn weekly honors.

Gorson has been excellent for Altoona in both August and September, serving as the team's best hitter during that time.

He slashed .361/.480/.508 for an OPS of .988 in 18 games in August, with 22 hits in 61 at-bats, three doubles, two home runs, six RBIs and 12 walks to 20 strikeouts. He has kept it up this month, slashing .364/.429/.614 for an OPS of 1.042 in 11 games, 16 hits in 44 at-bats, five doubles, two home runs, nine RBIs andfive walks to 13 strikeouts.

Gorson started off the season with High-A Greensboro, where he slashed .261./368/.449 for an OPS of .817 in 39 games, with 36 hits in 138 at-bats, nine doubles, one triple, five home runs, 18 RBIs, 17 walks to 28 strikeouts and 21 steals on 23 attempts.

He then earned promotion to Double-A on June 24, where he struggled from the plate early on, slashing .193/.265/.295 for an OPS of .561 in 26 games through July 31, with just 17 hits in 88 at-bats,

Gorson joined the Pirates last year, as they took him out of UCLA with the 264th overall in the ninth round of the 2024 MLB Draft.

He started off with Single-A Bradenton, playing 11 games with them, before playing with Greensboro for 11 games as well. He slashed .203/.379/.270 for an OPS of .649 in 22 games in 2024.

Gorson plays all over the infield, but has played mostly at third base in Altoona with 29 starts in 31 appearances at the position. He has also started 18 of 20 games at first base, four games at second base and two at designated hitter.

He also gets to play with two of the best Pirates prospects at Altoona, including shortstop/center fielder Konnor Griffin, the top prospect in baseball, plus second baseman Termarr Johnson, who MLB Pipeline ranks as the sixth best prospect in the Pirates system.

MLB Pipeline doesn't rank Gorson amongst their top 30 Pirates prospects, but his recent performances might give him a shot next re-ranking.

Gorson and the Curve will also face the Seawolves in the playoffs starting on Sept. 16, with the first game at home and then next two on the road, with a best-of-three series determining who makes the Eastern League Championship.

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

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