Here's my list of the Pirates' top twenty prospects. I did this a few weeks after the Pirates acquired Donald Veal in the Rule 5 draft. I figured eligibility the way Baseball America does it, based on having few enough major league at-bats or innings pitched to qualify for Rookie of the Year. Consequently, I didn't include Steve Pearce or Ross Ohlendorf. Players acquired by current management are noted with *.
1. Pedro Alvarez, 3B*. He hasn't swung a bat as a pro, but there's clearly nobody in the system now with his ceiling.
2. Andrew McCutchen, CF. Had a mediocre year in AAA, but he gets a pass from scouts because he's young and still extremely toolsy. He hasn't lived up to those tools yet, though, and may just turn into a speedy player with a decent bat rather than the star that the Pirates hoped he'd be.
3. Jose Tabata, OF*. Very high ceiling and huge question marks, he rates this high due to the former. His big finish at Altoona didn't hurt.
4. Brad Lincoln, RHP. He didn't pitched all that well, especially after moving up to Lynchburg, but considering that 2008 was his post-Tommy John recovery year he did reasonably well. There's no reason to think he doesn't still have a good ceiling.
5. Neil Walker, 3B. A poor season in AAA definitely drops his stock. It helps a little that he's still young, although not as young as McCutchen, and that he's hit for good power, so maybe he just needs more time at the upper levels. His defense was reportedly good, but the presence of Alvarez and Andy LaRoche presages another position switch.
6. Bryan Morris, RHP*. Very good stuff and a high ceiling, according to scouts, but it hasn't entirely translated into performance yet. Health may also be an issue, as he's now had Tommy John surgery, been shut down with shoulder pain, and had toe surgery in the last couple years.
7. Robbie Grossman, CF*. This may be a little high to rate a recent high school draftee, but he appears to have a good range of abilities, even if none is outstanding. Mixed scouting reports may reflect a senior year in which opponents pitched around him.
8. Jimmy Barthmaier, RHP*. Barthmaier was a top prospect with the Astros who had a disastrous year in 2007. He rebounded well in 2008, however, and has good stuff, so he shouldn't be overlooked.
9. Dan McCutchen, RHP*. The Pirates don't seem as high on this McCutchen as the Yankees were, but he's done enough to establish himself as a likely major leaguer.
10. Shelby Ford, 2B. I'm not as impressed with Ford as some. He doesn't have much range defensively and so will go only as far as his bat takes him, and he has trouble staying healthy. His numbers have been very good, though, when he's been healthy in the last year and a half and he's shown surprising speed.
11. Evan Meek, RHP*. He's pitched very well at AA and now AAA, with low walk totals in contrast to his time in the majors. The Pirates also were impressed with his pitching in Mexico during the winter. He should have a chance to open 2009 in the majors.
12. Jeff Sues, RHP. Maybe a reach, but Sues has excellent stuff and better command than you'd expect from a guy who largely missed his first three pro seasons. He also did better than you'd expect in AA given his lack of experience.
13. Jarek Cunningham, SS*. A very strong debut in rookie ball puts him on the map. He was overlooked in the draft due to a serious knee injury, which still makes him a question mark defensively.
14. Jim Negrych, 2B. A one dimensional player, but he's awfully good at that one thing, which is hitting for average. The lack of power and poor defense will probably limit him to being a bat off the bench.
15. Jamie Romak, OF. The very high strikeout rate leaves serious doubt about whether he can hit enough in the majors, or even AAA for that matter. His struggles after moving up to AA, and again in the Arizona Fall League, add to the doubts. And, of course, he was passed over in the Rule 5 draft for the second time. Still, he has good power, which is a uncommon commodity, and he clearly made significant strides in 2008, which may have been the result of off-season surgery to correct a long-standing elbow problem.
16. Chase D'Arnaud, SS*. Had a very good start at State College, hitting for average with good gap power.
17. Donald Veal, LHP*. Not long ago, Veal was considered one of the top lefties in the minors. He's probably a longshot to turn things around, but he may be helped by pitching out of the bullpen.
18. Jordy Mercer, SS*. Struggled at Hickory, but showed signs of coming around late in the season.
19. Quinton Miller, RHP*. Given the attrition rate with high school pitchers, he may never get out of rookie ball, but he's one of the very few pitchers in the system with any kind of ceiling.
20. Justin Wilson, LHP*. Not likely to turn into a star, but the Pirates desperately need solid pitchers in the system.