Where does Pittsburgh's farm system stand entering 2027?

This story was excerpted from Aiden Stepansky's Pirates Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

PITTSBURGH -- The Pirates' farm system produced plenty of ammo in 2026 to help build an 11-win improvement for the Major League club. Top prospect Konnor Griffin emerged as the everyday shortstop while rookie Bubba Chandler started 30 games in the rotation.

Further additions came from Esmerlyn Valdez, who homered 17 times and won NL Rookie of the Month for July, and catcher Rafael Flores Jr. also produced a strong year. Who could be up next for Pittsburgh?

There are obvious top prospects like Seth Hernandez, Edward Florentino, Murf Gray, Wyatt Sanford, Easton Carmichael and many more who made major strides this year you likely already know about. But there are also other names you might just be getting familiar with.

Players who forced their way onto the radar

Reinold Navarro, LHP (No. 21)

At just 19 years old, Navarro dominated with a 2.96 ERA in 24 apperances (17 starts) across two levels in 2026. Navarro trails just Hunter Barco (No. 16) for the top southpaw in the system. His plus fastball and filthy slider helped build a 15.38 K/9.

Like most pitchers, Navarro struggled in his taste of action at High-A Greensboro, known as a hitter’s ballpark. He tallied a 5.59 ERA in 9 2/3 innings after a late-August promotion, but showed plenty in his time at Single-A Bradenton to catch some eyes.

Carlos Tejera, OF (No. 24)

Tejera is still a long way from the Major Leagues after just turning 18 years old in July. He moved into the Pirates' Top 30 after the graduation of Valdez in July, and is already 6-foot-2 with plenty of room to fill in.

The left-handed-hitting outfielder dominated his first taste of the Rookie-level Florida Complex League, batting .296 with a .960 OPS and seven walks in nine games. Tejera signed for just $95,000 out of the Dominican Republic, the 12th-highest mark in the Pirates' class. He’s quickly outshining that value.

Connor Wietgrefe, LHP (No. 29)

Wietgrefe has always flown under the radar after his selection in the seventh round of the 2024 Draft out of Minnesota. But all the 24-year-old southpaw has done is dominate in professional baseball.

He has posted a 3.12 ERA in 277 1/3 innings over the last three years, and a 3.27 ERA across Double-A Altoona and Triple-A Indianapolis in 2026 has him pushing for a 40-man roster spot. Wietgrefe isn’t a stuff guy with a fastball typically around 91 mph. But he can certainly pitch.

Possible breakouts for 2027

Levi Sterling, RHP (No. 12)

Sterling’s numbers don’t jump off the page after producing a 4.92 ERA over his first two professional seasons. But the right-hander has plenty of upside and showed improvement from 2025-26. His walk rate dropped drastically from 6.09 BB/9 to 3.73 while also allowing a .211 opponents' batting average in 108 2/3 innings of his age-19 season.

Sterling earned a promotion to High-A Greensboro still at 19 years old, and he flashed his potential in his final outing on Sept. 2 with nine strikeouts and two solo home runs in five innings, walking just one batter.

Axiel Plaz, C/1B (No. 7)

Plaz already had somewhat of a breakout in 2026, batting .305 with 18 homers in 94 games with High-A Greensboro. At 21 years old, Plaz has power at the plate and a rocket arm behind it. A promotion early in 2027 would put Plaz to the test and give him a chance to prove the breakout is for real.

He’s now Pittsburgh’s No. 7 prospect after starting the year at No. 22. Plaz will need to be placed on the 40-man roster to be protected from the Rule 5 Draft.

Biggest question entering next season

Will Hernandez debut in 2027?

Hernandez told MLB.com in early July that he hopes to debut in MLB before his 21st birthday, June 28, 2027. A left oblique injury later in the month forced him out for the rest of the season, ending his year at High-A Greensboro instead of an expected promotion to Double-A Altoona.

MLB Pipeline’s top right-handed pitching prospect still has a chance at making his debut in 2027. But he’ll need to make up for some lost time with even more dominance, and add another weapon to the Pirates' young staff.