Around the Curve | Spring Break Young Bucs Edition: Spring Breakout Showcases Power Arms In The Pirates System

This story is part of the series 2024 Spring Break: Young Bucs Edition, a compilation of reports from Bradenton leading up to Opening Day.

BRADENTON, Fla. – MLB’s first annual Spring Breakout game took place on Thursday night at LECOM Park featuring the top prospects in the organization taking on the top prospects in the Baltimore Orioles system. Much of the talent for the Pirates lays on the mound these days, 2023 Curve members Abrahan Gutierrez, Tsung-Che Cheng, Jase Bowen, Braxton Ashcraft, Bubba Chandler, Tyler Samaniego, Paul Skenes and Anthony Solometo all suited up for the Pirates. Former Curve RHP J.C. Flowers was also on the roster for the game.

Pittsburgh rolled out six pitchers in the Spring Breakout game and each of them sat 95 or better except for left-hander Hunter Barco; who ran his fastball from a unique arm slot and deceptive delivery in the 93-94 range.

The highly anticipated match-up between Skenes and Baltimore’s Jackson Holliday took place in the first inning and Skenes ramped up the heater to 102 to punch out one of the top prospects in baseball. Skenes ended up with two strikeouts and a broken bat groundout in a 1-2-3 inning to start the game, needing just 11 pitches to get through his outing.

Paul Skenes (@Pirates) sets down the side in order (2 K's) in his #SpringBreakout debut.

The velo of MLB's top pitching prospect on his first six heaters:
100.6 mph
101.1
101.7
100.6
101.7
101.1 pic.twitter.com/9JHKzllE1R

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) March 15, 2024

Braxton Ashcraft was the second arm to enter for the Pirates and showcased the high-impact profile he brought to Altoona in 2023. While Ashcraft wasn’t at his sharpest, working around two walks, he allowed the lone run by Pirates pitching in the game.

The only lefty used by the Pirates in the game was Hunter Barco, the team’s second round pick in 2022. Barco is making his way back from Tommy John surgery and has looked much more polished since he’s gotten back on the mound. Barco was Pittsburgh’s second round pick in 2022 and he finally got back onto the mound for 18.1 innings last year in the complex league and with Low-A Bradenton. Much of the credit for his polish and development goes to Vic Black who serves as the team’s Minor League Pattern & Throwing Coordinator and often helps pitchers rebuild after a major injury. Black is a major asset to the Pirates Player Development group.

Bubba Chandler finished the game with his customary high-90’s fastball, hitting 98.9 with his heater in the seventh inning. Chandler dazzled in his lone outing with Altoona at the end of the 2023 season figures to be one of the stalwarts of the Curve rotation to start the season who could seriously impact the front of the Pirates rotation in years to come.

No. 5 @Pirates prospect Bubba Chandler gets the save to close out Day 1 of #SpringBreakout. pic.twitter.com/PMjzG2kHVy

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) March 15, 2024

Lonnie White Jr., a key member of the 2021 Draft Class for the Pirates that they were able to sign thanks to the under-slot bonus accepted by Henry Davis, is finally healthy and went 1-for-3 with a pair of strikeouts in Thursday’s game. White was slated to accept a scholarship to Penn State to play wide receiver on the gridiron and in the outfield for their baseball team before the Pirates selected him 64th overall out of Malvern Prep (PA). White has played only 72 games since being drafted because of a combination of injuries, but appears healthy heading into an important 2024 season.

Outfielder Tres Gonzalez started the Breakout Game in left field and figures to be in the outfield mix for Altoona this year. Gonzalez went 0-for-2 at the plate in Thursday’s game, but offers an intriguing combination of speed (28 stolen bases in 2023) and ability to put the ball in play (.289 batting average across 113 games with Bradenton and Greensboro).

Infielder Tsung-Che Cheng put together three good plate appearances against a pair of tough arms from Baltimore in lefty Cade Povich and righty Trace Bright. Cheng scored Pittsburgh’s first run in the bottom of the first after working a walk against Povich.

Curve Cuts

• In a very nice gesture, the entire coaching staff for the Pirates Spring Breakout game was made up of Coordinators and Player Development staff. 2022 Curve Manager Kieran Mattison coached first base for the game and 2023 Curve Manager Callix Crabbe coached third base.
• A name to monitor for the future is pitcher Kristian Curtis. Curtis was drafted in the 12th round by the Pirates in 2023 and has truly opened some eyes on the back fields at Pirate City this spring. Curtis began his collegiate career at Texas A&M and then spent his junior campaign at Arizona State firing 64.0 innings with mixed results (an ERA over 7.00). Curtis has some significant injury history, undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2022 – a surgery that required a second procedure less than a year later. He showcased a big fastball, mid-to-high-90’s, with a great feel for spinning the baseball in his outing on Thursday night. Command remains a question, but this was his first professional outing and he is expected to slot into the rotation in Bradenton to start the season.
• Pittsburgh played Baltimore in a major league game prior to the breakout game and some familiar faces made the trip over from the minor league side including: RHP Cameron Junker, RHP Justin Meis, OF Matt Fraizer, INF Mike Jarvis, and C Eli Wilson. Fraizer popped off the bench and picked up his third hit in six at-bats this spring with a base hit to left field in the eighth inning.
• Justin Meis picked up a strikeout and hit a batter in a scoreless ninth inning. Meis has made four appearances with the Pirates this spring allowing just one run in 3.1 innings pitched. Meis figures to be in the mix for a significant role on Altoona’s pitching staff to start the 2024 season.
• Outfielder Matt Gorski made his 12th appearance of the spring with the Pirates and struck out in his lone at-bat. Gorski’s right-handed power potential remains tantalizing with his ability to play center field, though the spring has been a bit of a struggle for him from a production standpoint. He’s managed just one hit in 15 at-bats with seven strikeouts.

Let's Breakout pic.twitter.com/5DkDfmNSsh

— Jon Mozes (@spelledwithaZ) March 14, 2024