19-year-old Sterling finding his groove in Single-A Bradenton

Levi Sterling was the 13th-youngest Draft-eligible player entering the 2024 MLB Draft. Already committed to Texas, Sterling was 50/50 about whether to sign professionally out of high school or keep his commitment to Texas.

The Pirates then made his decision easy, taking Sterling in the Competitive Balance Round A and matching his lofty price tag. Two years later, Pittsburgh’s No. 13 prospect per MLB Pipeline is finding his way in Single-A Bradenton after battling ups and downs in 2025.

Through his last seven starts, Sterling has a 3.44 ERA with 33 strikeouts in 34 innings.

“I've learned a lot, especially last year, about myself and just the game of baseball,” Sterling told MLB.com. “Just what I could do when I come to the field every day to get better … you really just need to be where your feet are and focus on what your task is for that day.”

Like many high school stars, Sterling developed as a two-way star. At Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, Calif., Sterling learned under longtime head coach Tom Dill, who coached 2017 No. 2 overall pick Hunter Greene just a few years earlier.

Dill said he used Sterling as a closer so he could play shortstop or third base to start the game. Sterling allowed just three earned runs in 38 innings during his junior season.

“He's got the ability to be one of the big-time names in baseball,” Dill said.

Sterling didn’t pitch after getting drafted, then he struggled in Rookie ball in 2025, posting a 6.54 ERA in 31 2/3 innings. To return to the form that got Sterling to professional baseball, he leaned on his athleticism in the offseason to feel more natural while refining his mechanics.

Mentally, Sterling felt he was “in his head” last season too much. He made mental jumps with a specified plan of what to work on each day. Bradenton pitching coach Matt Ford also helped with the mental side, using his weekly “book club” based around the book “The Mental ABC’s of Pitching” by H.A. Dorfman.

Each week, a player shares a letter, and the staff discusses personal stories related to the topic. Ford, who has worked for the Pirates since 2014, said many Marauders pitchers have the stuff to make the Major Leagues but must polish their mental side of the game. Sterling is no different, and Ford sees more of an “identity” from the younger pitcher now.

“I see how it works in-game,” Ford said. “I see him, when things go a little wonky out there, how he resets and never lets the inning get away from him, takes a deep breath and makes a pitch.”

Sterling is still progressing, but he saw real change on May 24 against Lakeland. Sterling said he wasn’t feeling his best physically. Yet he navigated the Flying Tigers’ lineup to toss five no-hit innings en route to a rain-shortened no-hitter. The 19-year-old felt his mental toughness took over.

“The best thing I could do is just keep doing what I've been doing,” Sterling said.

Pittsburgh has rebuilt through young pitchers, with Paul Skenes, Jared Jones and Bubba Chandler already contributing in the Major Leagues and Seth Hernandez ranking as its top prospect.

Sterling said he’s spoken at length with both Jones and Chandler about what to expect while moving through the organization. Ford has worked with many of the pitchers when they first broke into baseball, helping develop Braxton Ashcraft and, most recently, Hernandez.

In due time, Sterling could be next up.

“He's starting to become a complete pitcher,” Ford said. “Obviously, not a finished product by any means, but he's got the mentality to do it.”