Pirates to Call Up No. 4 Prospect from Wealth of Pitching Prospects

Pirates to Call Up No. 4 Prospect Hunter Barco

The Pirates drafted Barco out of the University of Florida in the second round of the 2022 June Amateur Draft. As a six-foot-four, 235-pound hard thrower, the 24-year-old fits the prototype for young pitchers drafted under general manager Ben Cherington. His sinking fastball sits at around 95-96 mph to go with a slider that generates good swing-and-miss and a splitter that serves as his off-speed pitch. He hides the ball well before an unorthodox delivery, making his fastball seem even faster.

“[I] still have all the funkiness [in my delivery] that I’ve always had,” Barco told Dendrick Hendrix of Baseball Prospect Journal. “But in terms of moving better and direction down the mound, [I’ve] definitely gotten better.”

After not giving up an earned run in six outings at Double-A Altoona, Barco was promoted to Indianapolis in May. There, he was 3-1 with a 3.79 ERA and a 1.371 WHIP, while striking out 10 batters per nine innings. Overall, he’s 4-1 with a 2.81 ERA and 1.198 WHIP across the two levels. In three September outings, he’s given up two earned runs in 6 2/3 innings while holding opponents to a .167 average. Barco wasn’t scheduled to join the big time until 2026, but perhaps the Pirates were persuaded by these recent outings.

Rich in Young Arms

Barco is just the latest to join the Pirates from their pitching-rich farm system. No. 7 prospect Braxton Ashcraft joined the big club in May, followed by No. 2 prospect Bubba Chandler last month. Both have pitched well. On Saturday, Chandler and Ashcraft combined to toss eight innings of one-hit, shutout ball against the Athletics. They’ve given Barco a high standard to hold up to.

How Barco will be used is unknown. This season, he’s been used both as a starter and out of the bullpen. He’s pitched 99 1/3 innings so far. Judging by how the Pirates have handled Chandler and Ashcraft, don’t expect the Pirates to extend Barco with long outings. A role as a starter or bulk reliever could be in the cards for Barco. Pirates fans have to be excited by what the future holds from the mound. Now if only they would sign some hitters. . .