The Pirates turned their attention to the farm system this week, recognizing the top performing prospects for Minor League awards.
Most of these players have been covered this year or will have more coverage in the near future, but first, let’s run down the award winners.
COMPLETE PIRATES PROSPECT COVERAGE
- Pirates Top 30 prospects
- Prospect stats: Today | Last 10 | Last 30
- Draft pick stats
- Highlights
Staff of the Year: Greensboro Grasshoppers
The High-A affiliate finished with 88 wins (fourth most in the Minors) en route to a playoff spot. Their 165 home runs were the second most in the South Atlantic League and their 3.55 staff ERA was fourth. They also had two combined perfect games this year.
“They love the game,” Greensboro manager Blake Butler said when asked what stood out about this group. “They love to show up. They want to play on the biggest stage. They want to win, even in the Minor Leagues. All positives.”
Rookie-Level Player and Pitcher of the Year: OF/1B Edward Florentino and RHP Yonleg Gaetano
Gaetano, a 20-year-old righty out of Venezuela, was one of the top performers in the Dominican Summer League, striking out 39 with a 0.93 ERA over 29 innings pitched. Florentino made the leap from the Complex League to Single-A Bradenton, where he won Player of the Month honors his first month there in July. He also cracked MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 list, currently sitting at No. 81.
“For me, that was so impressive because I didn’t expect that,” Florentino said. “So I always try to be the best of the list.”
Omar Moreno Baserunner of the Year: INF Duce Gourson
Gourson slashed .275/.370/.439 over 392 plate appearances this year, but the 2024 ninth-round pick did his best work on the basepaths. Not only did he swipe 31 bags between High-A Greensboro and Double-A Altoona, he was caught stealing only three times.
Willie Stargell Slugger of the Year: OF/1B Esmerlyn Valdez
Valdez -- the Pirates’ No. 15 prospect -- was one of the biggest breakout prospects this year, hitting .286 with 26 home runs and an .896 OPS between Greensboro and Altoona. If that power wasn’t impressive enough, eight home runs in the Arizona Fall League put a nice exclamation mark on his season.
“I wanted to thank the Pirates for the opportunity of being in the Fall League,” Valdez said, via interpreter Juan Guerra, “so I want to represent the Pirates and represent myself and want people to remember my name."
Kent Tekulve Reliever of the Year: RHP Brandan Bidois
On the pitching side, you can make a case that Bidois was this year’s fastest riser. He started with Bradenton and finished with Triple-A Indianapolis, finishing with a 0.74 ERA and 69 strikeouts over 61 innings pitched. Finally healthy and now brandishing a changeup, the 24-year-old righty finished the year on an incredible streak where he didn’t allow a run in the final two months of the season, totaling 21 1/3 innings.
Baseball players can be a superstitious bunch, and there can be a stigma attached when you’re in the midst of a stretch like that.
“It’s cool to talk about it after the season," Bidois joked.
Bill Mazeroski Defender of the Year: SS/OF Konnor Griffin
When the Pirates took Griffin ninth overall in 2024, there were questions whether he could be a pro shortstop or if he would need to move to center field. He showed he could stay on the dirt this season, making only seven errors in 89 games played at shortstop.
“I think I played like 90% of the games at short, so I got a lot of experience this year,” Griffin said. “That was the biggest thing: I needed experience.”
Bob Friend Pitcher Of The Year: RHP Bubba Chandler
No surprise here. Chandler is the second-highest-ranked pitcher on MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 (No. 14 overall) and should be a front-runner for Rookie of the Year next year. Before he went 4-1 with a 4.02 ERA in his seven Major League outings, he struck out 121 batters over 100 innings with Indianapolis.
Honus Wagner Player of the Year: SS/OF Konnor Griffin
Again, no surprise here. Griffin is the top prospect in the game and rose from Bradenton to Altoona. Could more be in store? He thinks so, saying, “Until I’m a Hall of Famer, I’m gonna continue to work every single day, put the blinders on and focus on what’s in front of me.
“I’m not anywhere close to being what I think I can be,” Griffin said later. “It’s just part of the journey. I’m going to continue to grow every day and just be present.”