Quinn Priester

Priester had strong results throughout his climb through the Pirates' minor-league system, primarily based on his slider and curveball. That came to a crashing halt upon his promotion to the majors in mid-July of 2023, with the end result being a 7.74 ERA and 1.70 WHIP across 50 innings. He curiously threw his curveball only 13 percent of the time. While he relied more heavily on his slider (23 percent), the results were a mixed bag as it was hit hard (.659) but did generate whiffs. The real opportunity for a step forward comes from his fastball, which has been a red flag in his profile for those who rely more heavily on data for prospect evaluation. Those concerns came to fruition in Pittsburgh, as his four-seamer was tagged for a .818 slugging percentage by opposing hitters. During the offseason, teammate Henry Davis disclosed that Priester revamped his mechanics to regain velocity that he lost in 2023. In order for Priester to get anywhere near reaching the potential his prospect pedigree implies, he'll need the pitch to be more effective, giving him the ability to play his more advanced offspeed and breaking stuff off the heater. Spring training should give us a hint of whether the offseason changes were effective, which will also dictate potential interest once draft season heats up.

Priester advanced to the upper levels of the Pirates system in 2022, though an oblique injury cost him two months worth of starts. When he was on the field, Priester largely lived up to expectations, as he maintained a 2.87 ERA and 1.20 WHIP across 81 innings with Double-A Altoona, which led to a promotion to Triple-A Indianapolis in the waning weeks of the season. One potential reason for concern was a dip in strikeout rate - a potentially concerning sign for his fantasy value once he reaches the major leagues and something to monitor to begin 2023. Despite the slight step back in that regard, Priester looks like a strong candidate to fill a mid-rotation role for several seasons, and he could get at least a short look in Pittsburgh in 2023 after he built up his innings total with 23 supplementary frames in the Arizona Fall League.

When the Pirates selected Priester with the No. 18 overall pick in 2019, they saw a projectable 6-foot-3 prep righty whose low-90s fastball could tick up in pro ball. He was a late arrival to the alternate site this past summer, but he was the club's most impressive pitching prospect once he arrived and averaged 97 mph with his fastball (touched 99) during the fall instructional league. The 20-year-old righty also boasts a plus low-80s curveball and is an advanced strike thrower. He is still working on his changeup, but that pitch has steadily improved in pro ball. If he can hold this newfound velocity over longer outings and over a full season, Priester should continue to climb prospect rankings. He could move pretty quickly, relative to the typical high school pitcher, and it's possible he debuts in 2022 if everything goes smoothly.

One of the top prep pitchers in the 2019 draft, Priester was seen as extremely projectable in all the obvious ways (athletic, 6-foot-3, 195 pounds) but also because he came from a cold-weather state (Illinois) and had not received high-caliber instruction. From a player-development standpoint, he was a high-upside ball of clay that was ready to be molded. He has a plus mid-90s fastball and a picturesque, albeit methodical, delivery. Priester has a second plus pitch in his curveball and he is gaining more feel for an average changeup. He had success right away in the Gulf Coast League and then walked four batters in four innings in his lone start in the New York-Penn League. Still, the expectation is that he will end up with at least average command. He could become a No. 2 or No. 3 starter if he develops as expected.