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Pittsburgh Pirates Top 10 Prospects for 2017

By Benjamin Chase

Mar 17, 2016; Bradenton, FL, USA; A view of the Pittsburgh Pirates logo during the game between the Pirates and the New York Yankees at McKechnie Field. The Yankees defeat the Pirates 7-2. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 17, 2016; Bradenton, FL, USA; A view of the Pittsburgh Pirates logo during the game between the Pirates and the New York Yankees at McKechnie Field. The Yankees defeat the Pirates 7-2. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /

The Pittsburgh Pirates took a step back in 2016 after a number of years consistently challenging for the playoffs. Can their farm help them return to contention in 2017?

An Introduction

Our minor league top 10 series is coordinated by Benjamin Chase, one of our contributors at Call to the Pen.

He has pored over thousands of minor league games over the course of the year via milb.tv along with speaking with a number of team and independent scouts. These lists are based out of those conversations.

Each system will have prospects from 10 to 1, and then finish with one newcomer to the system that is worth keeping an eye on that is not in the top 10 at this time.

Conversations are certainly encouraged in the comments section on each system as we go along!

All seemed to change when Neal Huntington was brought in as the general manager of the team in 2007

Pirates System Review

The Pirates spent nearly 20 years mired in mediocrity, continually swinging and missing from their own system and never really producing the guys they needed to take that next step as an organization.

That all seemed to change when Neal Huntington was brought in as the general manager of the team in 2007 and immediately began an overhaul of the minor league system on up, putting big emphasis on producing consistent players from that minor league system in order to compete in a mid-level to lower-tier financial market.

The Pirates have done a tremendous job building up their team through their minor league system as they now have arguably the best outfield in the league with all home-grown players in Andrew McCutchen, Starling Marte, and Gregory Polanco.

They also boast a number of pieces in the major league team that came through the minor league system along with guys that they signed as international free agents such as Jung Ho Kang, Jordy Mercer, Tony Watson, and Gerrit Cole.

The Pirates are now heavy in trade rumors this offseason with their star Andrew McCutchen due to his contract soon to expire after 2017 and wanting to get something for him rather than letting him walk, and also because they have players ready in their system to step up.

The 2017 Pirates could be younger, but they could be even better than the 2016 version.

Let’s take a look at the top 10!

Next: #10

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