{"id":232863,"date":"2026-07-01T14:59:24","date_gmt":"2026-07-01T14:59:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/232863\/"},"modified":"2026-07-01T14:59:24","modified_gmt":"2026-07-01T14:59:24","slug":"2026-pittsburgh-pirates-top-30-prospects-july-update","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/232863\/","title":{"rendered":"2026 Pittsburgh Pirates Top 30 Prospects July Update"},"content":{"rendered":"

With the calendar flipped to July, Baseball America is back with our latest significant in-season update to Top 30 prospect lists<\/a> for every team.<\/p>\n

Read on below for Orioles prospect updates featuring in-depth new intel on prospect additions, risers, fallers, injuries and graduations. You can find July write-ups for all 30 teams here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Pittsburgh Pirates Top 30 Prospect Additions<\/p>\n

25. Connor Wietgrefe<\/a>, LHP<\/p>\n

BA Grade: 40\/Average<\/p>\n

Track Record: The Pirates signed Wietgrefe for $247,500 as a seventh-rounder in 2024 and he has since been a dependable source of starter innings in pro ball. He opened 2026 with Double-A Altoona, where he pitched to a 3.51 ERA with 69 strikeouts over 66.2 innings, before Pittsburgh promoted him to Triple-A Indianapolis.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Scouting Report: Wietgrefe is a classic pitchability lefty who makes up for lack of overpowering velocity with guile and deception. Hitters in the lower levels had a hard time barreling his fastball, which has crept up into the low 90s and now maxes out around 94 mph, and he works in a separate two-seamer, though he has leaned on it a bit less in 2026 so far. His best secondary is a solid low-80s slider and he knows how to manipulate its shape. He also has a mid-to-upper-80s cutter and a solid mid-80s changeup that has plenty of fade and ran a 33% miss rate through the first two months of the year. He ties it all together with above-average command. The Pirates noted some offseason strength work has helped him clean up his delivery this year to get into better positions more consistently.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Future: While Wietgrefe\u2019s lack of power limits his ceiling, there are enough strikes and shapes to suggest he could carve out a role as a big league swingman, or perhaps even a No. 5 starter.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 45 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 50 | Cutter: 45 | Control: 55.\u00a0<\/p>\n

29. Lonnie White<\/a>, OF\u00a0<\/p>\n

BA Grade: 45\/High<\/p>\n

Track Record: When the Pirates opted to draft Henry Davis and cut a deal with the first overall pick in 2021, the savings allowed them to use their bonus pool space to lure several high schoolers to pro ball, including Bubba Chandler, Anthony Solometo and White, who was a two-sport football and baseball star out of the Pennsylvania prep ranks. White has struggled to turn his considerable tool set into consistent results because of a spate of injuries and frequent strikeouts. The 23-year-old outfielder returned for a third stint in High-A Greensboro to begin in 2026 and finally hit his way to the upper minors, where he continued to post a productive 139 wRC+ through 35 games with Altoona even despite a 33.1% strikeout rate.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Scouting Report: White has always had plus raw juice. The problem, however, is that pitchers often found it far too easy to entice him out of the zone. Markedly better swing decisions in 2026 have helped White make the most consistent contact of his career. He\u2019s still a below-average hitter who whiffs plenty in the zone, but when he stays on line to the pitcher, he can punish mistakes, as Phillies Top 100 Prospect Gage Wood learned the hard way in a late-June Double-A outing when White deposited an 88 mph cutter over the left-center wall. White\u2019s checkered injury history also sapped him of some of his athleticism, but the Pirates feel like White is moving better in 2026, and he has played all three outfield spots to go with 16 steals through 58 games.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Future: There\u2019s some skepticism White\u2019s hit tool will hold up. Still, his improvements so far in 2026 have renewed some hope there\u2019s a path to the big leagues, where White could turn his athletic gifts, contact quality and outfield versatility into some kind of platoon or fourth outfielder role.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Scouting Grades: Hit: 40 | Power: 55 | Run: 55 | Fielding: 55 | Arm: 50.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Pittsburgh Pirates Prospect Graduations<\/p>\n

None.<\/p>\n

Pittsburgh Pirates Prospect Risers<\/p>\n

Khristian Curtis<\/a>, RHP: Since entering pro ball, Curtis\u2019 surface-level production sometimes lagged behind more intriguing indicators under the hood. In 2026, the 24-year-old righty finally started to see some more consistent results. Curtis\u2019 overhauled cutter is a big reason why. It has given him another pitch he can land in the strike zone consistently, bridging an otherwise deep and powerful arsenal. Curtis can still struggle with home runs and efficiency as he refines his usages, but the upside is a No. 3 or No. 4 starter who piles up plenty of strikeouts a couple turns through the order.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Murf Gray<\/a>, 3B: Gray was a riser in May and now jumps into the top 10 of this update. He has been one of the most productive hitters in the minors. Through June 26, Gray ranked second in wRAA (30.7), fifth in average (.350) and tied for 12th in homers (19) among qualified minor leaguers with 200 or more plate appearances. Evaluators wondered whether Gray\u2019s aggressive approach will strain at some point against better pitching, but he\u2019s actually walking more so far against High-A arms. Scouts also give him at least a chance to stick at third base because he makes the routine plays and has a plus arm, even if he\u2019s not the most nimble defender. He may be ticketed for Altoona before long.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Johan De Los Santos<\/a>, 2B\/SS: For a second consecutive year, rookie-level arms are having a tough time figuring out how to beat the diminutive De Los Santos in the zone. He has plus hand-eye coordination and speed, and while he doesn\u2019t profile as a power threat, at least one evaluator noted De Los Santos has posted some surprisingly high max EVs this season on the complex for his size. Defensively, he has looked a bit more comfortable at second base compared to shortstop and his speed may even warrant a shot in center field. He has enough savvy to stick up the middle with table-setting skills at the top or bottom of a lineup.<\/p>\n

Pittsburgh Pirates Prospect Fallers<\/p>\n

Rafael Flores<\/a>, C: Flores still has plus power and a solid understanding of the strike zone, but concerns about his overall contact ability have persisted in his second go-around in Triple-A. Even after designating Joey Bart Jr. for assignment, the Pirates have opted to roll with Endy Rodriguez and Henry Davis for now, and Esmerlyn Valdez is also vying for big league DH at-bats, so Flores\u2019 best path to a big league role may take a bit longer \u2013 and come in a part-time capacity.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Antwone Kelly<\/a>, RHP: Kelly rose up the Pirates list a year ago after a velocity bump helped him sit in the upper 90s and regularly touch triple-digits. Kelly is still throwing hard, and he touched the majors this year, but consistent strikes have proven a bit more elusive at Triple-A. Hitters are also having a fairly easy time identifying his fastball, even at its velocity, and Kelly continues to search for a consistent breaking ball. Kelly has worked in shorter stints this June and his best path toward helping the Pirates\u2019 big league club is more likely in relief.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Thomas Harrington<\/a>, RHP: Harrington didn\u2019t have a regular offseason as he rehabbed from hip surgery and he\u2019s still trying to recapture the delivery \u2013 and trademark precision \u2013 that helped him pitch his way onto the Top 100 in 2024. With a crowded depth chart ahead of him, Harrington is no longer starting games for Triple-A Indianapolis and a best-case scenario in Pittsburgh might be a bulk-innings type role. Even that will be tricky to navigate at 92-94 mph unless his command ticks back up, which it began to show signs of doing in June.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Zander Mueth<\/a>, RHP: Mueth\u2019s arm talent and sinker-slider profile once invoked pretty regular comparisons to Tanner Houck. He has looked less like that style of pitcher over the last year, also struggling to both throw strikes and stay healthy in Low-A, and the 21-year-old went back on the injured list once again in April after a rocky start to the season.<\/p>\n

Pittsburgh Pirates Prospect Injuries<\/p>\n

Shortstop Wyatt Sanford<\/a> was placed on the injured list on June 10 with a hand injury after he was hit by a pitch and is expected back right after the all-star break.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Lefthander Hunter Barco<\/a> is on the IL with left elbow inflammation.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Pirates placed righthander Wilber Dotel<\/a> on the IL in mid June with a right lat strain, though he was already ramping back up as of the end of the month.\u00a0<\/p>\n

First baseman Tony Blanco Jr.<\/a> hit the injured list on June 21 with a hamstring injury. He also missed the first half of 2025 with a hamstring injury.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Righthander Zander Mueth hasn\u2019t pitched since early May because of shoulder inflammation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"With the calendar flipped to July, Baseball America is back with our latest significant in-season update to Top…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":19413,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[73,75,74],"class_list":["post-232863","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-pittsburgh","tag-pittsburgh","tag-pittsburgh-headlines","tag-pittsburgh-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/232863","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=232863"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/232863\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19413"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=232863"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=232863"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=232863"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}