Pittsburgh Pirates

Quinn Priester - Scouting Report


Rank History
Year Team Position Team Rank OFP
2021 PIT RHP 4 50

Grades Update: Jan 2021
OFP Role FB CB CH Ctr/Com
50 50 55 60 50 50/45

Jan 2021 Report

Evaluator: Jason Kamlowsky

Age: 20 yr
Height: 6-3
Weight: 215 lbs
Hits/Throws: R/R
Acquired: 2019 Round 1
RuleV: 2023

Physical Description: Two-sport star at Cary-Grove Community High School in Illinois, was also part of a state championship football team as a senior. Tall, athletic build with an easy 3/4 arm action. Listed at 215 pounds, he looks to be closer to 200 giving him plenty of room to grow into his 6'3 frame. Although he just turned 20, he has already started to fill out in his lower half and his forearms. Has physical potential to be a frontline starter.

Delivery & Mechanics: Has an easy, repeatable 3/4 delivery with a slight cross body angle. Holds hands at his waist through his rocker step, then separates at the balance point giving him a hint of deception in his delivery. Excellent arm acceleration. Has improved his balance point and follow through since being drafted, though at times he rushes his balance point out of the stretch. Hold runners well. Low effort delivery should give him the opportunity to work deep into games.

Fastball: Has a four-seam fastball that touches 97 but sits consistently around 93. Has good command his four-seamer and uses it more on right handed hitters. Also throws a heavy two-seam fastball that lacks the velo and command of the four-seamer but has more sink and glove-side run. Two-seamer sits at 88-90 and he uses it to attack lefties with success. Both are average-to-above average at this point. Grade: 55

Curveball: 77-80 MPH and has good shape and depth. Can short arm it at times but when he gets out in front, it is devastating. Will attack hitters and has already proven to be an out pitch. Generates swings and misses and can already land it in the zone. Future potential plus pitch. Grade: 60

Changeup: 82-85 MPH work in progress. Finally landed on a grip he liked with modest success. Ideally would throw it with slightly less velo but the arm action is consistent giving me some optimism that it be an above average offering. Grade: 50

Control and Command: Already has a good feel for how to pitch relative to his age. Control is average right now with room for growth. Understands how to set up hitters and isn't afraid to challenge them inside. Throws to all quadrants with authority. Fastball command is ahead of secondary offerings. Curveball gets away from him at times leaving it up in the zone. Potential to grow into above average or better territory. Control: 50 | Command: 45

Overall: Priester is a two-sport athlete from a cold weather state which raises his ceiling considerably. He has the type of pitch arsenal the Pirates covet throwing two variations of a fastball including a two-seamer with plenty of life. The fact that he already carries a curveball that has proven to be an out pitch is a sign of his maturity despite the fact he has just 36.2 professional innings under his belt. A tremendous student of the game, Priester taught himself how to pitch watching others on YouTube. His floor should be that of a very strong backend starter but his combination of size, athleticism, and skill makes me dream of a mid-rotation or better arm.

OFP: 50
Role: 50 - #4-#5 SP or High Leverage Reliever
Risk: High


Oneil Cruz - Scouting Report


Rank History
Year Team Position Team Rank OFP
2021 PIT SS 3 50

Grades Update: Jan 2021
OFP Role Hit Power Field Arm Run
50 60 40 60 45 70 50

Jan 2021 Report

Evaluator: Joe Drake

Age: 22 yr
Height: 6-7
Weight: 175 lbs
Hits/Throws: L/R
Acquired: 2015 IFA
RuleV: On 40-Man Roster

Physical Description: Towering frame looks every bit of listed 6'7. All limbs. Wiry, bordering on skinny. High waist and wide, squared off shoulders. Moves well, doesn't look too big for his body. Lots of room for good weight, but assume it would slow him a bit.

Hit: Tall, upright stance that swallows the batter's box. Shoulders rounded forward. Hands rest at shoulder height, rocking heavily, about a foot from his body. Torso slightly closed. Minor bend in legs, front heel off the ground. Little rock/tap in the front foot. Very minor leg kick for trigger, minimal movement to ready for pitch. Hands come down, back, and up making the swing long and sometimes late. Mostly flat swing path with high finish, but started lifting the ball more in AA. Big bat speed; swings hard looking to pull the ball and do damage. Bails a little when fooled and will still try to pull the ball. Lots of swing and miss. Can get embarrassed by good spin and offspeed. Issues squaring up the ball and will swing through fastballs he should drive, but was only 20-years old in AA. Growing pains should be expected. Enough patience and recognition to take a few walks. Grade: 40

Power: Huge frame, leverage and above-average bat speed give him prodigious raw power, double plus or more. Swings hard and looks to drive the ball in the air, started to actualize it in 2019 after very groundball heavy batted ball profile in the past.. The ball really jumps off his bat when he connects and the approach is built for over the fence pop. Contact issues limit game power, but he scorches it when he connects. Plenty of speed to stretch for extra bases on anything in the gaps. Grade: 60

Field: Comfortable at short, but loses focus and gets casual at times. Solid actions. Average range; doesn't accelerate quick enough for speed to to make range play up on the dirt. There's a chance he sticks at short if he doesn't fill out much more, but it seems more likely that he moves to 3rd or RF as he reaches physical maturity and loses speed. May not be quick enough for 3rd long term. Plenty of arm for anywhere on the field. Grade: 45

Arm: Laser arm. Firm carry across the diamond even from less than ideal positions. Knows how to get his body into it even while turning two and hits the target. Average transfer. Can get too casual and let the ball sail. More than enough strength to star anywhere on the field. Grade: 70

Run: Clocked a 4.14 H-1st. Long strider; covers a ton of ground with long legs. Can be slow out of the box, but moves very well underway with quick cycle. Covers a lot ground underway; effortless gait, deceptively fast. So big and already slow to accelerate, speed likely to fade quickly as he adds weight. Potential to really plummet if he really fills out the frame. Probably not a stolen base threat in the majors. Grade: 50

Overall: Exciting athlete with impressive combination of power and speed. Giant frame stands out immediately and he moves deceptively well for his size and the sheer length of his limbs. He might stick at short, but seems best suited for RF in the long term as he'll likely lose a step with any weight he puts on. Hit tool will drive the volatile profile, but he's found success at each level despite being much younger than the competition. If he refines the swing and reduces the whiffs, he's got an all-star ceiling. If he makes no improvement, he's a three-outcome bench bat with uncomfortably high Ks. More likely, he's a lower batting average, big power guy with some speed and good defense that results in an average regular.

OFP: 50
Role: 50 - Average Everyday Regular
Risk: High


Nick Gonzales - Scouting Report


Rank History
Year Team Position Team Rank OFP
2021 PIT 2B 2 55

Grades Update: Jan 2021
OFP Role Hit Power Field Arm Run
55 60 60 50 50 50 55

Jan 2021 Report

Evaluator: Rogelio Castillo

Age: 22 yr
Height: 5-10
Weight: 190 lbs
Hits/Throws: R/R
Acquired: 2020 Round 1
RuleV: 2023

Physical Description: Small, compact frame with muscular thighs and legs. Rounded shoulders. Not likely to add much weight, physicality is limited based on frame. Strong,muscular, and athletic in a diminutive package.

Hit: Slightly open stance; hands at the head; slight crouch with knee bend as he loads up to swing. Plus bat speed. Very quick to and through the ball with a bat path conducive for square hitting over backspin. Stays through the ball in the zone with good barrel control. Generates loud bat speed, fluid stroke with good barrel control. Slight stride assisted toe tap timing mechanism and quick trigger. Contact oriented approach. Quick, strong wrists with good feel for wood. Good pitch recognition at the plate. Beautiful swing. Grade: 60

Power: Bat speed and leveraged swings indicates future average power. Does have a track record of above average power production as na amteur. Drives the ball with hip turn through the swing. Mostly gap power now, with more to follow. Gonzales is a smart hitter that gets the most power out of his swing, improved strength as he ages hints at possible above average ceiling. Grade: 50

Field: Solid average fielder - good defensive habits. Clean and quick footwork; Alert. Solid defender. Good first step read. Can play short or second but range suggests second base is his long term position. Sound defensive actions. Grade: 50

Arm: Arm strength is average, good throwing mechanics that keep improving.Playable arm strength for second base. Good transfer to throws to first base. Does not have the arm strength for short. Grade: 50

Run: Smooth runner out of the box, type of speed that makes the defensive rush. Quick first step; Playable speed for his position with good instincts on the basepath. Grade: 50

Overall: One of the best college hitters in the draft with high level production between New Mexico State and the 2019 CCBL. Plus hit tool, with a strong track record of high production with wood bats. Has the contact, approach, and contact quality to develop into one of the premier hitters at second base. Power should play at the next level due to a combination of plus bat speed, strong pitch recognition skills, and a swing that's leveraged for power. High level competitor and a notoriously tireless worker. The Pirates may have landed a standout offensive performer at the keystone for years to come.

OFP: 55
Role: 60 - Above-Average Everyday Regular: Occasional All-Star
Risk: Low


Ke'Bryan Hayes - Scouting Report


Rank History
Year Team Position Team Rank OFP
2021 PIT 3B 1 55

Grades Update: Jan 2021
OFP Role Hit Power Field Arm Run
55 60 60 50 70 60 55

Jan 2021 Report

Evaluator: Jason Kamlowsky

Age: 24 yr
Height: 5-10
Weight: 205 lbs
Hits/Throws: R/R
Acquired: 2015 Round 1
RuleV: On 40-Man Roster

Physical Description: Athletic build with room for projection. Will gain more strength with maturity. May need to monitor his weight as he ages, though his body has developed well since being drafted. High character, son of former major leaguer Charlie Hayes.

Hit: Compact swing that allows him to make consistent hard contact. Uses the whole field and gets hands to the hitting zone with ease. Hands start by his shoulder with a little pre-pitch wiggle. Slightly open stance with a moderate front leg kick that is used as a trigger. Uses his lower-half and gets hips through the zone well. Aggressive approach but above average knowledge of the strike zone that should not hinder his ability to get on base. Does have a tendency to lunge after off-speed pitches. Pitch recognition will have to improve to unlock the ceiling but the potential to be a middle-of-the-order threat is here. Grade: 60

Power: Average to above average raw power at present with projection for more. Will consistently barrel up balls and create hard contact. 2020 power surge was a nice surprise. Has gained strength for power but approach is a work in progress. Aggressiveness suppresses power at times leading to more doubles and less home runs. Good gap power but needs to lift the ball more. Did show the ability to lift balls up in the zone. Potential is there to eventually hit 30 home runs. Will need to fill out physically to reach peak power profile. Don't be surprised to see disappointing home run numbers in 2021. Grade: 50

Field: One of the best defenders among all infield prospects. Read angles off the bat even on balls that are scorched. Quick first step. Hands are quiet and smooth, will rarely misplay even the hardest hit balls. Moves well laterally and his athletic frame will allow him to stick at third base. Has potential to be a Gold Glove third baseman. Grade: 70

Arm: Plus arm. Can make accurate throws across the diamond with ease. Even on balls to his glove side he has plenty of velocity to first base. Grade: 60

Run: Above average runner, enough to keep defenses honest. Straight line speed is well above average and he can go 1st to 3rd on most singles. Could steal 10-15 bases early in his career but will likely settle in closer to 8-10 per year. Grade: 55

Overall: Hayes made a splash at the big-league level in 2020 slugging five home runs and hitting .376 in just 95 plate appearances. Will be a defensive stalwart and should be one of the top hitters in Pittsburgh for years to come. His work ethic, athleticism, and pedigree are coming together and making him one of the game's fastest rising prospects. One of the hardest workers in the Pirates' organization, Hayes has the makeup of a potential 15-year veteran who could win multiple Gold Gloves and be a potential All-Star.

OFP: 55
Role: 60 - Above-Average Everyday Regular: Occasional All-Star
Risk: Low