Pittsburgh Pirates minor league players

Stephen Gavin Alemais (born April 12, 1995) is an American professional baseball shortstop in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.

Alemais was born in the Bronx, New York and attended All Hallows High School. He earned all-state honors in his junior and senior years, and all-district, all-city, and all-league honors in his sophomore, junior, and senior year. He currently holds the schools' single season hit record.[1] Undrafted out of high school in the 2013 MLB draft, he enrolled at Tulane University where he played college baseball. In 2015, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Cotuit Kettleers of the Cape Cod Baseball League.[2] In 2016, his junior year at Tulane, he slashed .311/.368/.401 with one home run, 28 RBIs, and 19 stolen bases in 53 games,[3] earning American Athletic Conference First Team honors. After the season, he was selected in the third round of the 2016 Major League Baseball draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates with the 105th overall pick.[4]

Alemais signed with Pittsburgh and made his professional debut with the West Virginia Black Bears before being promoted to the West Virginia Power in August.[5] In fifty games, he hit .249 with one home run and twenty RBIs.[6] In 2017, he played for the Power and the Bradenton Marauders along with making a rehab appearance with the Gulf Coast League Pirates. In 67 total games, he batted .265 with four home runs and 34 RBIS. In 2018, he played for the Altoona Curve, slashing .279/.346/.346 with one home run, 34 RBIs, and 16 stolen bases in 120 games. He returned to Altoona to begin 2019.

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

Carter Bins (born October 7, 1998) is an American professional baseball catcher in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.

Bins attended Angelo Rodriguez High School in Fairfield, California.[7] He hit .313/.427/.447 with 9 RBI in 67 at-bats in his senior year. He was First-Team All Monticello Empire League honors and was twice named Defensive Player of the Year.

Bins was drafted in the 35th round of the 2016 draft by the Philadelphia Phillies but chose to attend Fresno State Bulldogs baseball.[8] Bins started at catcher for Fresno State for his three years there, earning Academic All-Mountain West honors each year.[7] In his career at Fresno State, Bins hit .289/.383/.465 with 19 home runs and 96 RBI in 679 plate appearances.[8] Bins was regarded as an excellent defensive catcher in college and was considered among the best in the 2019 draft.[9] He was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the 11th round of the 2019 MLB draft.[7] Bins signed with the Mariners for a $325,000 signing bonus [10]

Bins debuted in the minors with the Everett AquaSox, then of the Class A Short Season Northwest League.[8] He played 50 games for the AquaSox, hitting .208/.391/.357 with 7 home runs and 26 RBI.

On July 28, 2021, Bins was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates along with Joaquin Tejada in exchange for Tyler Anderson.[11]

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Fangraphs, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)
• Fresno State Bulldogs bio

Carl Donovan Bolton (born June 19, 1998) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.

Bolton attended Tracy High School in Tracy, California. As a senior, he went 9–2 with a 1.13 ERA, striking out 97 batters in 68 innings.[12][13] After his senior year, he was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the sixth round of the 2017 Major League Baseball draft.[14] He signed with the Pirates, forgoing his commitment to play college baseball at the University of Michigan.[15]

After signing, Bolton made his professional debut with the Rookie-level Gulf Coast Pirates. In nine starts, he pitched to a 3.16 ERA. Bolton spent 2018 with the West Virginia Power of the Class A South Atlantic League, going 3–3 with a 3.65 ERA in nine starts, and began 2019 with the Bradenton Marauders of the Class A-Advanced Florida State League, where he was named Pitcher of the Week on May 13 as well as an All-Star.[16][17][18][19] He was promoted to the Altoona Curve of the Class AA Eastern League in June.[20][21] Over 21 starts between the two clubs, Bolton went 8–6 with a 3.28 ERA, striking out 102 over 101+2⁄3 innings.[22] He did not play a minor league game in 2020 since the season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[23] He began the 2021 season on the injured list with a knee injury and underwent surgery in May, forcing him to miss the whole season.[24]

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

Diego Alejandro Castillo (born October 28, 1997) is a Venezuelan professional baseball infielder in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.

The New York Yankees signed Castillo as an international free agent in December 2014. In July 2021, the Yankees traded Castillo along with Hoy Park to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Clay Holmes.[25]

The Pirates added Castillo to their 40-man roster after the 2021 season.[26]

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

Omar Cruz (born January 26, 1999) is a Mexican professional baseball pitcher in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.

Cruz signed with the San Diego Padres as an international free agent in 2017.[27] He made his professional debut in 2018 with the Rookie-level Arizona League Padres and was promoted to the Tri-City Dust Devils of the Class A Short Season Northwest League in July. Over 11 games (ten starts) with the two clubs, he pitched to a 1-1 record with a 1.91 ERA, striking out 59 batters over 42+1⁄3 innings.[28][29] He returned to Tri-City to begin the 2019 season before he was promoted to the Fort Wayne TinCaps of the Class A Midwest League. He compiled a combined 2-3 record and 2.73 ERA over 12 starts, striking out 76 over 56 innings.[30]

On January 19, 2021, Cruz (alongside David Bednar, Drake Fellows, Hudson Head, and Endy Rodriguez) was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates in a three team deal that also sent Joe Musgrove to the Padres and Joey Lucchesi to the New York Mets.[31] To begin the 2021 season, he was assigned to the Greensboro Grasshoppers of the High-A East.[32] After seven starts in which he went 3-3 with a 3.45 ERA and 38 strikeouts over 28+2⁄3 innings, he was promoted to the Altoona Curve of the Double-A Northeast.[33] Over 14 starts with Altoona, he went 3-4 with a 3.44 ERA over 70+2⁄3 innings.

Drake Robert Fellows (born March 6, 1998) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.

Fellows attended Joliet Catholic Academy in Joliet, Illinois,[34] and Vanderbilt University, where he played college baseball for the Vanderbilt Commodores.[35] The San Diego Padres selected him in the sixth round of the 2019 MLB draft.[36]

On January 19, 2021, Fellows was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates in a three team trade that also sent David Bednar, Omar Cruz, Hudson Head and Endy Rodriguez to the Pirates, Joe Musgrove to the Padres and Joey Lucchesi to the New York Mets.[37]

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

Matthew Teran Fraizer (born January 12, 1998) is an American professional baseball outfielder in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.

Fraizer attended Clovis North High School in Clovis, California.[38] He was drafted by the Oakland Athletics in the 38th round of the 2016 Major League Baseball Draft but did not sign and played college baseball at the University of Arizona. In 2018, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Orleans Firebirds of the Cape Cod Baseball League.[39] He was selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the third round of the 2019 MLB draft and signed.[40][41]

Fraizer made his professional debut with the West Virginia Black Bears. He did not play a minor league game in 2020 due to the season being cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. He started 2021 with the Greensboro Grasshoppers before being promoted to the Altoona Curve.[42][43]

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

John Hudson Head (born April 8, 2001) is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.

Fellows attended Winston Churchill High School in San Antonio, Texas. The San Diego Padres selected him in the third round of the 2019 MLB draft.[44] He signed with the Padres for a $3 million signing bonus, a record for a player taken in the third round.[45] He did not play a minor league game in 2020 since the season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

On January 19, 2021, Head was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates as part of a three team trade that also sent David Bednar, Omar Cruz, Drake Fellows and Endy Rodriguez to the Pirates, Joe Musgrove to the Padres and Joey Lucchesi to the New York Mets.[37]

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

Jared Keith Jones (born August 6, 2001) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.

Jones attended La Mirada High School in La Mirada, California.[46] He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the second round of the 2020 Major League Baseball draft.[47] He signed with the Pirates rather than play college baseball at the University of Texas at Austin.[48][49]

Jones made his professional debut in 2021 with the Bradenton Marauders.[50]

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

Brennan Russell Malone (born September 8, 2000) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.

Malone attended Porter Ridge High School in Indian Trail, North Carolina[51] before transferring to IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida for his senior year.[52][53][54] At IMG, he was recorded throwing as high as 97 miles per hour.[55] He committed to play college baseball at the University of North Carolina.

Malone was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the first round of the 2019 MLB draft,[56][57] making him one of only three high school pitchers selected in the first round of the 2019 MLB draft.[58] He signed for $2.2 million.[59][60] After signing, he was assigned to the Arizona League Diamondbacks, going 1–2 with a 5.14 ERA over seven innings. He also pitched in one game for the Hillsboro Hops at the end of the year.

On January 27, 2020, the Diamondbacks traded Malone and Liover Peguero to the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for Starling Marte and cash considerations.[61] He did not play a minor league game in 2020 since the season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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

Mason Neil Martin (born June 2, 1999) is an American professional baseball first baseman in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.

Martin attended Southridge High School in Kennewick, Washington, where he played football and baseball.[62] In 2017, his senior year, he hit .507 with five home runs and ten stolen bases.[63] After his senior year, he was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 17th round of the 2017 Major League Baseball draft.[64][65] He signed for $350,000, forgoing his commitment to play college baseball at Gonzaga University.[66]

After signing with the Pirates, Martin made his professional debut with the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League Pirates, slashing .307/.457/.630 with 11 home runs (breaking the GCL Pirates record)[67] and 22 RBIs over 39 games, earning the title of Gulf Coast League Most Valuable Player.[68] Martin began the 2018 season with the West Virginia Power of the Class A South Atlantic League, but was reassigned to the Bristol Pirates of the Rookie-level Appalachian League halfway through the year.[69] Over 104 games between the two teams, he batted .220 with 14 home runs and 58 RBIs. In 2019, he began the year with the Greensboro Grasshoppers of the Class A South Atlantic League (with whom he was named an All-Star) before being promoted to the Bradenton Marauders of the Class A-Advanced Florida State League in July, with whom he finished the season.[70][71][72] Over 131 games, Martin slashed .254/.351/.558 with 35 home runs and 129 RBIs.[73] His 35 home runs were fourth in all of the minor leagues and his 129 RBIs were first.[74] Following the season's end, he was named Pittsburgh's Minor League Player of the Year.[75][76] He did not play a minor league game in 2020 since the season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[23] Martin was assigned to the Altoona Curve of the Double-A Northeast for a majority the 2021 season, slashing .242/.318/.481 with 22 home runs, 75 RBIs, and 29 doubles over 112 games.[77] Following the end of Altoona's season in mid-September, he was promoted to the Indianapolis Indians of the Triple-A East, appearing in eight games in which he hit three home runs to end the year.[78] Martin led all Pittsburgh minor leaguers in home runs (25) and runs batted in (81), while also striking out 171 times over 439 at-bats.[79]

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

Calvin David Mitchell (born March 8, 1999) is an American professional baseball outfielder in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.

Mitchell graduated from Rancho Bernardo High School in San Diego, California, where he played four years of varsity baseball.[80] As a junior in 2016, he batted .371 with 12 home runs and 41 RBIs.[81] In 2017, as a senior, he batted .369 with 11 home runs and 34 RBIs.[82] For his high school career, he batted .337 with 29 home runs and 120 RBIs.[83] Mitchell committed to the University of San Diego to play college baseball for the San Diego Toreros baseball team.[84] However, the Pittsburgh Pirates selected him in the second round (50th overall) of the 2017 Major League Baseball draft and he signed for $1.4 million, forgoing his commitment to USD.[85][86]

After signing, Mitchell made his professional debut with the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League Pirates. He spent the all of his first professional season there, batting .245 with two home runs and 20 RBIs in 43 games.[87] He spent 2018 with the West Virginia Power of the Class A South Atlantic League. He was named the SAL Player of the Week for April 16–22 after hitting .467 with one home run, nine RBIs, and a 1.233 OPS, and also earned All-Star honors.[88][89] Over 119 games for the Power, he hit .280 with ten home runs and 65 RBIs.[90] He spent 2019 with the Bradenton Marauders of the Class A-Advanced Florida State League, with whom he was named an All-Star.[91][92] Over 118 games, he slashed .251/.304/.406 with 15 home runs and 64 RBIs.[93] He did not play a minor league game in 2020 since the season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[23] Mitchell was assigned to the Altoona Curve of the Double-A Northeast for a majority of the 2021 season, slashing .280/.330/.429 with 12 home runs, 61 RBIs, and 19 doubles over 108 games.[94] Following the end of Altoona's season in mid-September, he was promoted to the Indianapolis Indians of the Triple-A East with whom he played seven games.[78]

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

Kyle Nicolas (born February 22, 1999) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.

Nicolas grew up in Massillon, Ohio and attended Jackson High School, where he played baseball and basketball. He won state titles in both sports as a senior and was named the Federal League Co-Player of the Year in baseball after going 8-0 with a save and a 0.50 ERA on the mound while also batting .349 with 24 RBIs.[95][96]

Nicolas played for the Ball State Cardinals for three seasons. In 2019, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Cotuit Kettleers of the Cape Cod Baseball League.[97] As a junior, Nicolas went 0-1 with a 2.74 ERA in four starts before the season was cut short due to the coronavirus pandemic.[98]

Nicolas was selected 61st overall by the Miami Marlins in the 2020 Major League Baseball draft.[99] After not playing in the minor leagues in 2020 following the cancelation of the season due to Covid-19, he began the 2021 season with the High-A Beloit Snappers.[100] Nicolas was promoted to the Double-A Pensacola Blue Wahoos after posting 3-2 record with a 5.28 ERA and 86 strikeouts in 59+2⁄3 innings with Beloit.[101]

On November 29, 2021, Nicolas was traded along with Zach Thompson and Connor Scott to the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for Jacob Stallings.[102]

Nicolas is the nephew of former Penn State and NFL quarterback Todd Blackledge.[103]

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference (Minors)
• Ball State Cardinals bio

Liover Peguero (born December 31, 2000) is a Dominican professional baseball shortstop in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.

Peguero signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks as an international free agent in July 2017.[104] He spent his first professional season in 2018 with the Dominican Summer League Diamondbacks and Arizona League Diamondbacks. In 2019, he played for the Missoula Osprey and Hillsboro Hops.

On January 27, 2020 the Diamondbacks traded Peguero and Brennan Malone to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Starling Marte.[61][105] He did not play a minor league game in 2020 since the season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[106] The Pirates invited him to their Spring Training in 2021.[107][108] He started the season with the Greensboro Grasshoppers.

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

Canaan Elijah Smith-Njigba (born April 30, 1999) is an American professional baseball left fielder in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.

Smith-Njigba attended Rockwall-Heath High School in Heath, Texas, where he played baseball.[109] During his senior year, he garnered attention after he was intentionally walked 32 times in 24 games, or a rate of 1.67 per game.[110] After his senior season, he was selected by the New York Yankees in the fourth round of the 2017 Major League Baseball draft.[110]

After signing with the Yankees, Smith-Njigba made his professional debut with the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League Yankees, slashing .289/.430/.422 with five home runs and 28 RBIs over 57 games. In 2018, he played with the Staten Island Yankees of the Class A Short Season New York–Penn League where he hit .191 with three home runs and 16 RBIs over 45 games, missing time due to injury. In 2019, he played for the Charleston RiverDogs of the Class A South Atlantic League, with whom he earned All-Star honors.[111] Over 124 games, he batted .307/.405/.465 with 11 home runs, 74 RBIs, and 16 stolen bases.[112] He did not play a minor league game in 2020 since the season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[23]

On January 24, 2021, the Yankees traded Smith-Njigba (alongside Miguel Yajure, Roansy Contreras and Maikol Escotto) to the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for Jameson Taillon.[113] He was assigned to the Altoona Curve of the Double-A Northeast for a majority of the 2021 season.[94] He was placed on the injured list on July 27 and activated on August 5.[114] He was placed back on the injured list on August 11 with a thigh injury and was activated one month later.[115] Over 66 games, he hit .274/.398/.406 with six home runs, forty RBIs, and 13 stolen bases.[116] Following the end of Altoona's season in mid-September, he was promoted to the Indianapolis Indians of the Triple-A East with whom he appeared in seven games.[78] He was selected to play in the Arizona Fall League for the Peoria Javelinas after the season.[117] On November 19, 2021, the Pirates selected his contract and added him to their 40-man roster.[118]

Smith-Njigba is the brother of Ohio State wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba.[119]

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

Beau Grayson Sulser (born May 5, 1994) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.

Sulser played college baseball at Dartmouth from 2013 to 2017.[120] In 2017, he was named Ivy League Pitcher of the Year.[121]

He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the tenth round of the 2017 Major League Baseball draft.[122]

His brother Cole Sulser is also a professional baseball player.

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

Jack William Suwinski (born July 29, 1998) is an American professional baseball outfielder in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.

Suwinski attended Taft High School in Chicago, Illinois. He was drafted by the San Diego Padres in the 15th round of the 2016 Major League Baseball draft. On July 26, 2021 the Padres traded Suwinski, Tucupita Marcano, and Michell Miliano to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Adam Frazier.[123]

After the 2021 season, the Pirates added Suwinski to their 40-man roster.[124]

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

Tahnaj A'kheel Thomas (born June 16, 1999) is a Bahamian professional baseball pitcher in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.

Thomas signed with the Cleveland Indians as an international free agent in 2016.[125] He spent his first professional season in 2017 with the Dominican Summer League Indians and Arizona League Indians and played 2018 with the Arizona League Indians. On November 14, 2018 the Indians traded Thomas, Erik González and Dante Mendoza to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Jordan Luplow and Max Moroff.[126]

Thomas spent his first season with the Pirates organization in 2019 with the Bristol Pirates.[127] He did not play a minor league game in 2020 since the season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[128] Thomas started 2021 with the Greensboro Grasshoppers.[129]

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

Blake Gerald Weiman (born November 5, 1995) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.

Weiman attended Columbine High School in Columbine, Colorado. He signed to play college baseball at the University of Kansas.[130] During his high school career, he played in three Colorado Rockies Futures games.[131] In 2014, as a senior, he went 7–0 with a 1.40 ERA and was named to the All-Colorado baseball team.[132] Undrafted out of high school in the 2014 Major League Baseball draft, he enrolled at Kansas.

In 2015, as a freshman at Kansas, Weiman appeared in 21 games (seven starts), going 2–7 with a 6.75 ERA.[133] As a sophomore in 2016, he became a full-time starter, appearing in 17 games in which he went 2–7 with a 6.82 ERA.[134] In 2017, in Weiman's junior season, he moved to the bullpen where he greatly improved, pitching to a 5–1 record with a 2.80 ERA, striking out 55 batters in 45 relief innings pitched. After his junior year, he was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the eighth round of the 2017 Major League Baseball draft.[135][136]

Weiman signed with Pittsburgh and made his professional debut with the West Virginia Black Bears of the Class A Short Season New York–Penn League, going 4–3 with a 3.78 ERA in 21 relief appearances.[137] He began the 2018 season with the West Virginia Power of the Class A South Atlantic League and was promoted to the Bradenton Marauders of the Class A-Advanced Florida State League and the Altoona Curve of the Class AA Eastern League during the year. In 67 relief innings pitched between the three clubs, he went 4–1 with a 2.42 ERA and 77 strikeouts.[138] After the season, he played for the Surprise Saguaros of the Arizona Fall League and was named to the Fall Stars Game.[139][140] Weiman was a non-roster invitee to 2019 spring training.[141] He returned to Altoona to begin 2019 and was promoted to the Indianapolis Indians of the Class AAA International League in June after pitching to a 1.86 ERA over 19+1⁄3 relief innings.[142][143] Over eight relief appearances with Indianapolis, Weiman went 0–1 with a 4.63 ERA. He missed nearly all of the last two months of the season due to injury.[144] He did not play a minor league game in 2020 since the season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[23] To begin the 2021 season, he returned to Indianapolis.[145] On August 10, he was placed on the injured list and was activated August 26.[146] Over 35 relief appearances, Weiman went 5-0 with a 4.76 ERA and 45 strikeouts over 45+1⁄3 innings.

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

Eddy Yean (born July 25, 2001) is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.

The Nationals signed Yean as an international amateur free agent out of the Dominican Republic in July 2017, giving him a $100,000 signing bonus. After beginning his professional career in the Dominican Summer League in 2018, Yean advanced to Class A Short Season ball in 2019, pitching for the Auburn Doubledays. In 2020, MLB Pipeline rated Yean as the Nationals' sixth-best prospect overall and forecast that he would continue rising as a prospect.[147]

Yean pitches right-handed, releasing the ball from a three-quarters arm slot. He employs a two-seam fastball up to 97 miles per hour (156 km/h) as his primary pitch.[148] He also throws a slider and a changeup.[149]

On December 24, 2020, Yean along with Wil Crowe were traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for Josh Bell.[150]

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