For a losing franchise, the farm system can be a glimmer of hope. If things aren’t working at the big-league level, squinting at the next wave of contributors can bring some comfort. Pittsburgh Pirates fans have lived in that space in recent years: volatile stretches, brief flashes, then another season that ends before October.
The good news is the NL Central club has one of the more highly regarded prospect pipelines in the game. In a recent poll of MLB executives, the Pirates were ranked with the fifth-best farm system and labeled the most underrated overall. That’s likely weighted by having the consensus top prospect in baseball and a handful of promising pitching options. If there’s any hope of Paul Skenes getting real reinforcements and dragging this club toward relevance, a lot of that help is waiting in the wings.
This article is part of a series focusing on each MLB team’s Top 20 prospects for fantasy baseball heading into the 2026 season. Stay tuned for prospect breakdowns for all 30 teams throughout January here at Pitcher List, and be sure to check out all our published pieces in the series here.
Top Pirates Prospects
The Top Tier
1) Konnor Griffin – 19 Y/O, SS
MiLB Stats: .333 AVG | .415 OBP | .527 SLG | 21 HR | 65 SB | 21.7% K% | 8.9% BB%
The Pirates gambled on upside when they drafted prep star Konnor Griffin ninth overall in the 2024 MLB Draft. He was the first prep player off the board, and it’s starting to look like he might have the highest ceiling of the entire class. Griffin made his professional debut in 2025 and shot through Low-A and High-A before finishing with 21 games in Double-A. With an OPS north of .930 at every stop, the hit tool concerns didn’t materialize, and the power showed up early.
Griffin is a superb athlete, using his arm effectively at both shortstop and center field, with quick-twitch actions and long speed that play at either position. He looks like a future perennial 30/30 threat, and at just 19 years old on Opening Day, the hype is justified. If you were lucky enough to draft or trade for Griffin, he’s a hold as his value only keeps rising. And given Pittsburgh doesn’t have a legitimate long-term roadblock at shortstop, a 2026 debut isn’t outlandish if he keeps forcing the issue.
2) Bubba Chandler – 23 Y/O, SP
MiLB Stats: 100.0 IP | 4.05 ERA | 27.4% K% | 12.0% BB%
MLB Stats: 31.1 IP | 4.02 ERA | 25.0% K% | 3.2% BB%
The top pitching prospect in the system, Bubba Chandler has electric stuff and finally made his long-awaited MLB debut in late August. The Pirates slow-rolled his introduction to the rotation, and he got shelled in his first big-league start against the Milwaukee Brewers. But the strikeout ability showed up immediately, and the command didn’t sabotage him the way the minor-league walk rate might have suggested.
Chandler’s fastball is the headliner, considering it sat atop Pitcher List models for months, but the plus pitches don’t stop there. His slider and changeup both grade as above-average offerings, and the arsenal can bully hitters even when the execution isn’t perfect. In his brief MLB sample, his 5.22 PLV and 2.44 PLA ranked 12th and 14th, respectively. There’s little reason to think Chandler won’t be in the Pirates’ rotation to open 2026, and this is his first real shot at a full season of innings.
3) Seth Hernandez – 19 Y/O, SP
MiLB Stats: 2025 Draftee
Seth Hernandez could be a top-five pick in your upcoming first-year player draft, and for good reason. Pittsburgh pounced on the prep righty sixth overall, the culmination of years of high school and showcase dominance. Hernandez brings another elite fastball that sits in the mid-90s and touches triple digits, but he’s not just a thrower, he can locate it well enough that the “straight” heater plays up.
He already has an expanded arsenal and shows feel for sequencing. The changeup might ultimately be his best pitch, and the slider plays well off the cambio. Add in Hernandez’s athleticism, his delivery looks easy, almost too clean for a teenager with this kind of velocity, and you’ve got a foundation that should hold as he adds strength in pro ball. He’ll have a tough time jumping Chandler in prospect rankings soon, but dynasty managers shouldn’t hesitate to invest highly in Hernandez’s ceiling.
4) Edward Florentino – 19 Y/O, OF
MiLB Stats: .290 AVG | .400 OBP | .548 SLG | 16 HR | 35 SB | 22.2% K% | 14.0% BB%
The Pirates signed Edward Florentino for $395,000 out of the Dominican Republic in 2024, and he’s already blown past expectations. Florentino’s bat-to-ball skills and approach have led to video game production, and the patience forces pitchers to come to him. That’s a strong foundation for a player with a 6-foot-4 frame that still has room for strength gains.
From a dynasty angle, there’s a real case for cashing in if your league is paying full freight. Profiles like this can be volatile, and only 54 games in Low-A is still an appetizer. But Florentino isn’t a one-trick player. The power/speed blend is real, the plate discipline is better than most teenagers, and his rise feels more “earned” than hype-driven.
5) Termarr Johnson – 21 Y/O, 2B
MiLB Stats: .272 AVG | .363 OBP | .382 SLG | 9 HR | 20 SB | 18.5% K% | 11.7% BB%
I still believe in Termarr Johnson’s long-term projection and his fit at second base in Pittsburgh. The Pirates took him fourth overall in 2022, and the last two seasons haven’t been what dynasty managers hoped for. But the on-base skills are still there, and the stolen base output helps keep his floor intact.
This is the part where I’d love to toss in a handful of batted-ball metrics, but that data isn’t publicly available at his levels. The bat speed suggests more power should be showing up, and Johnson feels like a swing-path or approach adjustment away from unlocking more game pop. The ranking here reflects the belief that he’s still one of the better second base prospects in the game, even if the ceiling is no longer what it was on draft night.
6) Jhostynxon Garcia – 22 Y/O, OF
MiLB Stats: .267 AVG | .340 OBP | .470 SLG | 21 HR | 7 SB | 26.8% K% | 9.2% BB%
MLB Stats: .364 AVG | .417 OBP | .364 SLG | 0 HR | 1 SB | 33.3% K% | 8.3% BB%
The newest headline addition to the Pirates’ pipeline has an 80-grade nickname, but he’s far from a perfect prospect. Garcia is a center fielder with real power, but the swing-and-miss is loud and isn’t going away on its own.
Garcia barreled the ball at a strong 10.2% clip in 2025, but he also whiffed on 34.2% of his swings and carried a notable strikeout-walk gap in Triple-A. That’s the kind of profile that can be tough to “fix” once you’re facing big-league arms every night. The upside is still 25–30 homers with usable production against both handedness, but the floor is lower than many want to admit. This is the first player on the list where, if another manager makes a fair offer, you should seriously consider taking it.
Prospects Dynasty Managers Should Know
7) Rafael Flores Jr. – 25 Y/O, C
MiLB Stats: .280 AVG | .354 OBP | .470 SLG | 22 HR | 6 SB | 25.7% K% | 9.7% BB%
MLB Stats: .200 AVG | .294 OBP | .333 SLG | 0 HR | 0 SB | 41.2% K% | 11.8% BB%
The Yankees built a catcher-heavy package to pry David Bednar away, and Flores has the highest ceiling of the bunch. He’s carved out a pro career after going undrafted, then saw his power take off after joining Pittsburgh. The swing-and-miss is a problem, but he draws walks at a reasonable pace for a power bat. He might ultimately look more like a first baseman than a catcher, but that flexibility could get him back to the majors quickly.
8) Antwone Kelly – 22 Y/O, SP
MiLB Stats: 107.1 IP | 3.02 ERA | 27.2% K% | 7.7% BB%
Aruba isn’t exactly a pitching factory, but Antwone Kelly is knocking on the door and he’s already on the 40-man roster. Kelly has just 11 starts above High-A, but the fastball-first development track is familiar for Pittsburgh arms. Baseball America noted he’s focusing more on his slider, which could be the swing piece for his starting future. He’s hit 101 mph with the four-seamer, and he’s not afraid to live in the zone. This is a buy window in most dynasty formats.
9) Hunter Barco – 25 Y/O, SP
MiLB Stats: 99.1 IP | 2.81 ERA | 27.8% K% | 11.8% BB%
MLB Stats: 3.0 IP | 0.00 ERA | 25.0% K% | 0.0% BB%
Barco closed 2025 strong, earning a late September call-up and winning his MLB debut. The splitter is nasty from his arm angle, but he doesn’t live in the zone the way you’d expect from a former college arm with this much pro experience. He should get more MLB looks in 2026, though the ceiling feels lower than it did a year ago.
10) Esmerlyn Valdez – 21, Y/O OF
MiLB Stats: .286 AVG | .376 OBP | .520 SLG | 26 HR | 3 SB | 24.6% K% | 10.6% BB%
If you don’t believe in AFL helium, go look at Esmerlyn Valdez. He had a breakout 2025 and capped it with a 1.355 OPS in Arizona Fall League play. The power is real, and the walk/strikeout profile is palatable given the home run output. It’s a bat-only profile, so he’ll need another strong season to push into a true big-league picture, but the trend line is pointing up.
11) Omar Alfonzo – 22 Y/O, C
MiLB Stats: .243 AVG | .354 OBP | .396 SLG | 14 HR | 2 SB | 28.7% K% | 13.2% BB%
All about carrying tools, right? Omar Alfonzo has one: impact in the bat. He’s among the harder-hitting catching prospects, and while the swing-and-miss is real, it’s not a total deal-breaker given the on-base skills. He probably won’t hit for average, but the OBP profile with 20+ homer upside is a fantasy-friendly path. Triple-A will be a big test in 2026.
12) Wilber Dotel – 23 Y/O, SP
MiLB Stats: 125.2 IP | 4.15 ERA | 24.5% K% | 8.0% BB%
Dotel has real stuff: an upper-90s fastball and secondaries that have taken steps forward, especially the slider and changeup. He ate innings in Double-A, and the walk rate has improved year over year. The concern is the home run spike in 2025. He has a back-end starter ceiling, but he’s also the type who could wind up in the bullpen if the command wobbles at the next level.
13) Wyatt Sanford – 20 Y/O, SS
MiLB Stats: .243 AVG | .384 OBP | .376 SLG | 5 HR | 34 SB | 19.8% K% | 12.5% BB%
Sanford’s pro debut was solid, but he’s not a loud tools guy outside of speed. He’s an aggressive, productive base stealer with notable baseball IQ, and he gets on base at a strong clip. The issue is the lack of power and limited projection to grow into it. His glove and legs will keep opening doors; the bat needs to do enough to walk through them.
14) Reinold Navarro – 19 Y/O SP
MiLB Stats: 32.0 IP | 5.34 ERA | 40.9% K% | 26.8% BB%
This is Reinold Navarro in a sentence: lefty, high-90s, ridiculous whiffs, and a total inability to throw strikes right now. The upside is obvious, considering you don’t see a southpaw with this kind of fastball often, but the walk rate is a five-alarm fire. He’s the classic deep-league stash: terrible stat line, nasty traits, and a single developmental swing away from becoming a real name.
15) Darell Morel – 18 Y/O SS
MiLB Stats: .287 AVG | .425 OBP | .414 SLG | 1 HR | 26 SB | 22.3% K% | 18.3% BB%
This is pure upside. Morel is toolsy, was once targeted by the Dodgers in the international market, and his movements on the field are smooth and natural. The issue is the swing path: it can get erratic and limits his bat-to-ball consistency. He’ll draw walks and work counts, but the hit tool needs to come forward for the rest of the profile to matter. Expect him to prove himself more in the complex in 2026.
The Next Five
Although these prospects do not crack the Top 15, dynasty managers should keep their eye on these five players.
16) Sammy Stafura: A former Cincinnati Reds prospect, struggled to produce at High-A this past season. His run tool and fielding chops put him on a big-league track, but the issues at the plate limit his fantasy impact unless things change.
17) Thomas Harrington: The righty had a 2025 to forget, both in the majors and minors. He lacks putaway stuff, and big leaguers punished him coming into the zone.
18) Nick Yorke: Another 2025 to forget, his plate discipline regressed and the production followed. The hit tool was his carrying tool, and that did not show up last season.
19) Tony Blanco Jr.: The Reinold Navarro of batting, he has immense power but struggles to make contact. He is not a factor on the basepaths and in the field, but was a headturner in AFL action.
20) Jeter Martinez: Still young in his pitching development, but struggled to throw strikes and relied on pure stuff to find success. An add-and-follow sort of guy in deeper leagues.
