Michael Chernow is in his first year as the Pirates’ director of coaching and player development after serving as the assistant director under John Baker for the past three years.
Chernow now oversees Pittsburgh’s Minor League system, which features four of MLB Pipeline's Top 100 Prospects, led by pitcher Bubba Chandler at No. 15 and the club's 2024 first-round Draft pick, shortstop Konnor Griffin, at No. 43. Chernow is in his ninth season in the Pirates' organization.
In the following Q&A, he shares his objectives and philosophies for Pittsburgh’s player development system and offers his thoughts on Chandler, Griffin and the overall talent in the system.
What’s your biggest takeaway from working directly with John Baker, your predecessor as director of coaching and player development, over the past few years?
Michael Chernow: John really changed the culture, individualizing training programs, making sure we were looking at every player in a player-centric way and making sure we tailored development plans toward that. Pouring into coaching and staff development. Making sure we were growing the guys that we brought in. He positioned me, quite frankly, to take the strong foundation that’s already in place and really grow it. Water the seeds that have been planted and evolve this thing to the next level.
How would you frame your goals for the Pirates’ farm system?
MC: We’re going to be relentless in our pursuit of getting players better. That’s who we are, and who we need to be as Pirates. No matter what that looks like -- if it’s something objective [or] if it’s something innovative. In teaching the game of baseball, we’re going to turn over every stone possible to make sure that the players are getting what they need. We want to make sure that everything we do in player development is something that we can be proud of and turns into a competitive advantage.
What do you like most about Griffin, the young man the Pirates took with the ninth overall pick out of Jackson Preparatory School in Mississippi last summer?
MC: Any word that I can use to describe Konnor doesn’t do him justice. He’s got a chance to be a really special player. He’s going to play shortstop, and we’re going to see what center field looks like. He’s going to stay at those premium positions. He’s got a chance to steal 50 bags. He’s a big, strong kid with a chance to hit for power. He makes a ton of contact. He’s maturing in his approach as time goes on. That’s really important and exactly what you expect from a high school kid. I’m really excited for him.
Chandler had a terrific 2024 season, one he put a bow on by going 4-0 with a 1.83 ERA in seven starts for Triple-A Indianapolis. His performance has created chatter that he could possibly follow in Paul Skenes’ footsteps and become a National League Rookie of the Year. Will Chandler be able to stay focused and not look too far ahead?
MC: You aren’t an elite competitor if you’re not aspirational. And we don’t ever want our players not to be aspirational -- to have dreams, to have things that they strive for. What I think Bubba does an excellent job at, though, is when he’s going through his work, he’s focused on his work. When he’s in a game, regardless of who’s in the box or what level it is, he’s not thinking about anything else but punching tickets. He does a great job of staying present and balancing that with being aspirational. That all starts with him being an absolute elite competitor.
The Pirates are getting a lot of attention for their young pitchers. That group is led by Skenes and Jared Jones, but it includes guys on the way such as Chandler, (Pirates' No. 4 prospect) Braxton Ashcraft, Thomas Harrington (No. 5) and others. What’s been the organization’s key to success in that area?
MC: Our pitching group -- led by Jeremy Bleich, Josh Hopper and Amaury Telemaco -- has done a really nice job in terms of building out processes within that vertical that are really focused on stuff and execution. We’ve got pitchers that are going to hopefully contribute (with Pittsburgh) in 2025; the Bubba Chandlers of the world. But then as you go down through the system, if guys don’t have acclaim, it’s because they don’t have it yet. But it’s coming. We are building complete pitchers that are going to help us win games in Pittsburgh.
On the position player side, it seems like a lot of the Pirates’ prospects are shortstops -- Griffin, Mitch Jebb (No. 9), Wyatt Sanford (No. 10), Jack Brannigan (No. 14) and others. Is it likely that some of them will end up playing other positions?
MC: When we talk about having a lot of shortstops, that’s not a bad thing. Sometimes, guys are listed as shortstops as amateurs because they’re the best players on the field. And hey, if a guy is a shortstop and we think he can be a Major League shortstop, let’s exhaust that. Other guys are listed as shortstops, but they’re also going to play other positions. If they move to second base or the outfield, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Over time, as they develop, we’ll make sure that they’re honing in on the positions that are probably the best long-term fits.