Pittsburgh Pirates News: Five among MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 prospects to attend big league camp as non-roster invitees

By Dan P. Hock

January 30th, 2024

 

The Pittsburgh Pirates today announced the following 13 players will attend Major League camp as
non-roster invitees.

Andrés Alvarez (INF) – Will attend big league camp for the second straight season as a non-roster
invitee…Spent all of 2023 with Altoona, where he hit .215 (73-for-339) with 18 doubles, one triple,
eight home runs, 35 RBI and 43 runs scored in 96 games…Recorded the first 20/20 season in Altoona
history in 2022…Was selected by the Pirates in the 22nd round of the 2019 First-Year Player Draft out
of Washington State University.

Carter Bins (C) – Hit a combined .212 (22-for-104) with four doubles, three home runs and 17 RBI in
31 games last season between Altoona, the FCL Pirates and Bradenton…Hit .300 (12-for-40) with four
doubles, two home runs and six RBI in the Arizona Fall League this offseason…Entered 2022 rated as
the “Best Defensive Catcher” in Pittsburgh’s minor league system according to Baseball America…Has
attended spring training as a non-roster invitee in each of the last three seasons (2021 with Seattle
and 2022-23 with Pittsburgh)…Was acquired by the Pirates from Seattle on July 28, 2021…Was rated
as the 84th-best prospect in the 2019 draft by FanGraphs.

Jack Brannigan (INF) – Enters this season rated as the organization’s No. 12 prospect according to
Baseball America…Hit a combined .275 (85-for-309) with four doubles, three triples, 19 home runs, 54
RBI and a .914 OPS in 87 games last year between Bradenton and Greensboro…Finished fourth among
Pirates minor leaguers in home runs in 2023…Went deep in five straight games from August 6-11 with
Greensboro, which was the longest streak among all players at the High-A level in 2023…Hit 12 home
runs while compiling a .987 OPS beginning with his Greensboro debut on July 22 through the end of
the season, which ranked second in the South Atlantic League in both categories.

Bubba Chandler (RHP) – Enters the season ranked 59th among Baseball America’s top 100 prospects
(93rd by MLB Pipeline)…Finished 2023 ranked third among all Pirates minor leaguers in strikeouts (128)
while going a combined 10-4 with a 4.54 ERA (111.0ip/56er) in 25 starts between Greensboro and
Altoona…Recorded a 1.85 ERA in his final eight starts with Greensboro, which was the second-lowest
ERA among all qualified pitchers at the High-A level between July 18 and September 2…Was rated by
Baseball America as the 20th-best player in the 2021 draft when the Pirates selected him out of North
Oconee (GA) High School.

Matt Gorski (OF) – Enters this season rated as Pittsburgh’s No. 15 prospect according to Baseball
America…Finished tied for second among Pirates minor leaguers in home runs (20) and sixth in extra
base hits (42) and total bases (180) last season…Hit a combined .231 (96-for-415) with 20 doubles,
two triples, 20 home runs, 61 RBI and 23 stolen bases in 108 games last year between Altoona and
Indianapolis…Was one of two Pirates minor leaguers (also Jase Bowen) to record a 20/20 season in
2023…Has hit the third-most home runs (61) among Pirates minor leaguers since the beginning of
2021, trailing only Mason Martin and Aaron Shackelford (62 apiece).

Abrahan Gutierrez (C) – Hit a combined .240 (46-for-192) with 10 doubles, five home runs and 27
RBI in 53 games between High-A Greensboro and Double-A Altoona in 2023…Threw out 12 of the 52
runners (23 percent) attempting to steal against him last season…Was acquired by the Pirates from
Philadelphia in exchange for pitcher Braeden Ogle on July 30, 2021…Was ranked as Philadelphia’s 27thbest prospect at the time he was acquired by the Pirates…First name is pronounced “Abe-rah-han”.

Thomas Harrington (RHP) – Enters this season rated as Pittsburgh’s No. 6 prospect according to
Baseball America…Finished tied for the organizational lead in strikeouts (146) while also ranking second
among Pirates farmhands in ERA (3.53) in 2023…Recorded 106 strikeouts with Greensboro beginning
on June 1, which were tied for the most among all pitchers at the High-A level through the remainder
of the 2023 season…Ranked fourth among all Florida State League pitchers with a 2.77 ERA at the
time he was promoted from Bradenton to Greensboro on June 1…Was selected 36th overall in the 2022
First-Year Player Draft by the Pirates out of Campbell (NC) University.

Termarr Johnson (INF) – Enters this season rated 77th among Baseball America’s top 100 prospects
(No. 4 prospect in the organization per Baseball America)…Is rated as the No. 1 prospect in the game
among second basemen entering this year according to MLB Pipeline (44th among MLB Pipeline’s top
100 prospects)…Finished 2023 on a 30-game on-base streak with Greensboro, which was the longest
active streak in the South Atlantic League and the second-longest in the league for the entire 2023
season…Began 2023 with Bradenton, where he hit 13 of his 18 home runs on the season.

Jared Jones (RHP) – Finished tied for the organizational lead in strikeouts (146) along with Thomas
Harrington in 2023 (his 3.85 ERA was also the third-lowest among Pirates farmhands with at least 90.0
innings pitched)…Recorded a 1.02 ERA (17.2ip/2er) in his final three starts of 2023 with Indianapolis
after being promoted June 20…Enters this season rated 74th among Baseball America’s top 100
prospects (62nd among MLB Pipeline’s top 100 prospects)…Was selected 44th in the 2020 First-Year
Player Draft by the Pirates.

 

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