Pittsburgh Pirates minor league players

Below are the rosters of the minor league affiliates of the Pittsburgh Pirates:

Players

Victor Black

Victor Black^[1] (born May 23, 1988) is a minor league baseball player who was selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the first round (49th overall) of the 2009 Major League Baseball Draft. He pitches for the State College Spikes in the short-season Class A New York-Penn League.

Black is a right-handed pitcher, weighs 205 lbs, and is 6 ft 4 in. He attended Dallas Baptist University and is the highest drafted player in the University's history. During his last season at Dallas Baptist, Black went 6-4 with a 4.16 ERA and 99 strikeouts in 88⅔ innings.^[2] He made his professional debut for the State College Spikes on June 30, 2009.^[3]

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference (Minors)

Kyle Cofield

Kyle Steven Cofield (born January 23, 1987 in Gadsden, Alabama) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball. He was drafted in the 8th round of the 2005 Major League Baseball Draft. He bats and pitches right-handed.^[4]

Cofield was traded from the Atlanta Braves to the Chicago White Sox for Scott Linebrink after the 2010 season.^[5] On November 23, 2011, he signed a minor league contract with Pittsburgh.

• Career statistics and player information from The Baseball Cube, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)

Robbie Grossman

Robert Edward Grossman (born September 16, 1989) is a professional baseball player in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.

Grossman attended Cypress Fairbanks High School. Considered a possible first round pick, Grossman fell in the 2008 Major League Baseball Draft due to his commitment to attend the University of Texas. However, the Pirates selected Grossman in the sixth round of the draft and signed him for an above slot $1 million signing bonus.^[6] Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus ranked Grossman as the 76th best prospect in baseball before the 2012 season.^[7] The Pirates invited Grossman to spring training in 2012.

• Career statistics and player information from The Baseball Cube, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)

Kris Harvey

Bryan Kristopher Harvey (born January 5, 1984 in Catawba, North Carolina) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates organization. He is the son of former Major League Baseball pitcher Bryan Harvey.

Prior to playing professionally, Harvey attended Bandys High School and then Clemson University. In his first year with Clemson, 2003, Harvey hit .276 in 29 at-bats. The next year, he batted .335 with eight home runs and 41 RBI in 54 games. In 2005, he hit .339 with 24 home runs and 69 RBI in 64 games.

Originally drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the fifth round of the 2002 amateur draft out of high school, he opted not to sign. However, when he was drafted in the second round of the 2005 amateur draft, he did sign. The signing scout was Joel Matthews.

Harvey began his minor league career as an outfielder/third baseman, hitting .300 in 65 games with the Jamestown Jammers in 2005. The next year, with the Greensboro Grasshoppers, Harvey hit .245 with 15 home runs and 60 RBI in 96 games. He played for the Jupiter Hammerheads in 2007, hitting .238 with 12 home runs and 55 RBI in 116 games.

In 2008, Harvey's average dropped to only .148 while with the Carolina Mudcats. In 74 games with them, he posted an on-base percentage of only .228 and a slugging percentage of .287. 2008 was the year Harvey converted to pitching. He spent eight games as a pitcher (four for the GCL Marlins and four for the Greensboro Grasshoppers), going 1-2 with a 6.97 ERA. In 2009, Harvey pitched for the Hammerheads, going 6-7 with a 4.38 ERA in 37 games (three starts).^[8]

He was designated for assignment on July 27, 2010.

On February 22, 2012, Harvey signed a minor league contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference (Minors)

Luis Heredia

Luis Eduardo Heredia Orozco (born August 10, 1994) is a Mexican professional baseball prospect in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.

Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus ranked Heredia the 42nd best prospect in baseball prior to the 2012 season.^[7]

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference (Minors)

Brock Holt

Brock Wyatt Holt (born June 11, 1988) is a baseball Infielder in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization. He is currently playing for the Pirates' Double-A affiliate, the Altoona Curve. He was drafted by the Pirates with the club's ninth round selection in the 2009 amateur draft. Prior to his professional career, Holt graduated from Stephenville High School, along with his best friend - a ginger - before continuing his career for the Rice Owls. In 59 games as a junior attending Rice University, he achieved .348 batting average with 12 homeruns and 43 RBI. Brock also led the Owls with 67 runs scored and shared the team lead with 11 stolen bases. During the 2009 season, he was also named to the All-NCAA Regional Team and to the All-Silver Glove Trophy Series team.^[9]

Holt began his professional career with the Pirates' Low Class-A affiliate, the State College Spikes, before advancing to the High-A Bradenton Marauders in 2010. His 2010 season was cut short due to injury to his MCL, which required surgery.^[10] He began the 2011 season, with the Pirates AA affiliate, the Altoona Curve. On July 13, 2011, Holt was named the MVP of the Eastern League All-Star Game after hitting a two-run homer in the ninth inning.^[11]

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference (Minors)

Kris Johnson

Kris Johnson (born October 14, 1984 in West Covina, California)^[12] is an American professional baseball starting pitcher in the Boston Red Sox organization. In 2008 Baseball America ranked him as Boston's fourth best pitching prospect.^[13] Coming into 2009, he was ranked within the top 20 prospects within the Red Sox system.^[14]

Johnson was drafted in the first round of the 2006 Major League Baseball Draft. He spent the 2008 season at the Red Sox's AA affiliate, the Portland Sea Dogs. He threw a 3.63 ERA for the year.^[14]

He spent 2009 between the Red Sox AAA affiliate, the Pawtucket Red Sox and the Portland Sea Dogs. He amassed a 3-16 record with a 6.35 ERA, and led the minors with most losses.^[14]

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference (Minors)

Andrew Lambo

Andrew Lambo (born August 11, 1988 in Beverly Hills, California) is a baseball prospect with the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.

Lambo was selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 4th round of the 2007 MLB Draft out of Newbury Park High School. He played for the Gulf Coast Dodgers in 2007 and the Great Lakes Loons and Jacksonville Suns in 2007. He was selected as Midwest League All-Star Outfielder in 2008 while with the Loons.

In 2009 & 2010 he was assigned to the Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts, BaseballAmerica.com rated him as the organization's top rated prospect of 2009^[15] He was selected represent the Lookouts at the 2009 Southern League mid-season All-Star game.

On May 1, 2010, Lambo was suspended for 50 games by Major League Baseball for testing positive for a banned substance, quantified as a "drug of abuse." ^[16]

On July 31, 2010 he was traded (along with Pitcher James McDonald) to the Pittsburgh Pirates for reliever Octavio Dotel.^[17]

• Career statistics and player information from The Baseball Cube, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)

Quincy Latimore

Frederick Quincy Latimore (born February 3, 1989) is a baseball outfielder in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization. He plays for the Altoona Curve, the Pirates' Double A affiliate in the Eastern League. Latimore was drafted by the Pirates in the 4th round of the 2007 amateur Draft.

In 2009, Latimore drove in 70 runs in 118 games with the low-A West Virginia Power. In 2010, he hit 19 homeruns playing for Pirates High-A club, the Bradenton Marauders, in 518 at-bats. That ranked him second among those players playing in the Pirates' farm teams, falling only behind Brandon Moss, who had 22 homeruns.

Latimore has raised some concerns from the media for his high strikeout rate.^{[citation needed]} In April 2011, he was ranked at No. 21 on Baseball America's ranking of the Pirates' minor league players.^[18]

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference (Minors)

Kyle McPherson

Kyle Landon McPherson (born November 11, 1987 in Mobile, Alabama, USA) is a minor league baseball starting pitcher currently on the Pittsburgh Pirates active roster.

Prior to playing professionally, McPherson attended St. Paul's Episcopal High School in Mobile and then University of Mobile. He was drafted by the Pirates in the 14th round of the 2007 amateur draft and began his professional career that season.

McPherson pitched for the GCL Pirates and State College Spikes in 2007, going a combined 4-3 with a 3.41 ERA in 15 games (13 starts). With State College again in 2008, McPherson went 1-3 with a 4.37 ERA in 15 games (seven starts). In 2009, he pitched for the Spikes and the West Virginia Power, going a combined 9-5 with a 3.78 ERA in 26 games (21 starts). He pitched for the Power and the Bradenton Marauders in 2010, posting a 9-9 record with a 3.48 ERA in 28 games (21 starts). He struck out 131 batters in 121 2/3 innings in 2010.^[19]

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference (Minors)

Gustavo Nunez

Gustavo Adolfo Nunez (born February 8, 1988) is a professional baseball infielder in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.

Nunez signed as an international free agent with the Detroit Tigers in 2008. In 2011, he was named to the Florida State League Mid-Season All-Star team. After the season, the Pirates selected Nunez from the Tigers in the Rule 5 draft.^[20]

• Career statistics and player information from The Baseball Cube, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)

Rudy Owens

Rudy C. Owens (born December 18, 1987 in Mesa, Arizona) is a professional baseball pitcher in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.

The Pirates drafted Owens out of Mesa High School in the 28th round (830th overall) of the 2006 Major League Baseball Draft. In 2009, Owens was named a Class-A All-Star, South Atlantic League (SAL) All-Star, and SAL Most Outstanding Pitcher. In 2010, Owens was named a Eastern League All-Star and Pittsburgh Pirates Minor League Player of the Year. The Pirates added him to their 40 man roster after the 2011 season to protect him from the Rule 5 draft.^[21]

• Career statistics and player information from The Baseball Cube, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)

Aaron Pribanic

Aaron Pribanic (born September 1, 1986) is a baseball pitcher in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization. He is currently playing for the Pirates' Double-A affiliate, the Altoona Curve. He was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the 3rd round, 98th overall pick, of the 2008 draft. On July 29, 2009, he was acquired by the Pirates from the Mariners; along with Jeff Clement, Ronny Cedeno, Brett Lorin, and Nathan Adcock; in exchange for Jack Wilson, Ian Snell, and cash considerations.

Prior to his professional career, Pribanic played while attending college at Hutchinson Community College and the University of Nebraska. He is also the grandson of former-New York Yankee, Jim Coates. Pribanic stated in 2011, that he picked up his passion for the baseball from his grandfather.^[22]

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference (Minors)
• Pirates Prospects bio
• Nebraska Cornhuskers bio

Hunter Strickland

Hunter D. Strickland (born September 24, 1988) is a baseball pitcher in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization. He is currently playing for the Bradenton Marauders, the Pirates Advance-A affiliate in the Florida State League. On June 8, 2007, Strickland was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 18th round, 564th overall pick, of the 2007 MLB Draft. On July 22, 2009, he was acquired by the Pirates, along with Argenis Diaz, via a trade with the Red Sox in exchange for Adam LaRoche.

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference (Minors)
• Pirates Prospects bio

Justin Wilson

Justin J. Wilson (born August 18, 1987 in Anaheim, California) is a professional baseball pitcher in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.

Wilson attended Buchanan High School in Clovis, California.^[23] Out of high school, the Los Angeles Dodgers drafted Wilson in 37th round (1126th overall) of the 2005 Major League Baseball Draft, but he did not sign, opting to enroll at Fresno State University, where he played college baseball for the Fresno State Bulldogs baseball team.^[24] In his junior season, Wilson was named to the College World Series All-Tournament Team, as Fresno State won the 2008 College World Series.

After his junior season at Fresno State, the Pirates drafted Wilson in the fifth round (144th overall) of the 2008 Major League Baseball Draft.^[25] Wilson signed with the Pirates. The Pirates added him to their 40 man roster after the 2011 season to protect him from the Rule 5 draft.^[21]

• Career statistics and player information from The Baseball Cube, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)

Full Triple-A to Rookie League rosters

Triple-A

Double-A

Class A-Advanced

Class A

Short A

Rookie

References