Hunter Harkins Barco...Is a 2019 graduate of the Bolles (Fla.) School, where he was 5-0 with a 1.84 ERA & 67 strikeouts as a senior...Was named to The Florida Times-Union All-First Coast team...Attended the University of Florida (2020-22), where he went 17-5 with a 3.18 ERA (152.2 IP/54 ER) and 189 strikeouts during his 30 appearances (29 starts) there...Was named a 2020 freshman All-American by Collegiate...Baseball after posting a 1.40 ERA across his five outings...Was a member of the 2021 Southeastern Conference All-Newcomer team after going 10-3 in his 16 starts...Was also on the USA Baseball Collegiate national team...Was named the No. 1 pitcher in NCAA Division I by D1Baseball on 3/30/22...Had a 2.50 ERA (50.1 IP/14 ER) and 69 strikeouts over nine starts in the 2022 season...Was signed by Pirates scout Cam Murphy.
2025
Pitched in two spring games as a non-roster invitee...Began the season with Altoona, where he pitched 4.0 scoreless innings as the Opening Day starter on 4/4 vs. Chesapeake...Struck out five batters in 4.0 scoreless innings on 4/10 at Akron...Earned his first win after allowing just one hit and striking out six batters over 5.0 scoreless innings on 4/16 vs. Somerset...Was named the Eastern League’s Pitcher of the Week for the week of 4/21-27 after striking out 16 batters over 7.2 scoreless innings in his two starts (4/22 and 4/27 at Chesapeake)…Was also named the Eastern League’s Pitcher of the Month for April after striking out 30 batters and not allowing a run over his five starts (20.2 IP)...Pitched 5.0 scoreless innings in his final Double-A start on 5/3 vs. Akron and set the Curve franchise record (since 1999) with 25.2 straight scoreless innings...Was one of two pitchers in Minor League Baseball to not allow an earned run from 4/4- 5/3, along with the Athletics’ Donny Troconis (22.0 IP)...Was promoted to Indianapolis on 5/6...Made his Triple-A debut on 5/9 vs. Columbus, allowing one run over 4.1 innings...Left his start on 5/15 vs. Louisville after just 0.1 inning (23 pitches)…Was placed on the seven-day injured list on 5/18 (retro to 5/17) with a left shoulder strain...Was reinstated from the I.L. on 5/31 and returned to the mound that night vs. Nashville, striking out seven batters over 3.0 scoreless innings...Earned his first win with Indianapolis on 6/12 (G1) vs. St. Paul after allowing one run in 5.0 innings...Made 16 straight starts to begin his time with the Indians before allowing four runs over 2.2 innings in his first relief appearance on 8/24 at Syracuse (was his first outing out of the bullpen at any level since doing that with Greensboro on 6/22/24 vs. Hudson Valley)...Made two more outings in relief on 8/30 vs. Buffalo and 9/5 at Columbus, allowing one run over 4.2 total innings... Made his final Triple-A start on 9/11 vs. Iowa, giving up two hits and one walk in 3.0 scoreless innings...Made his final appearance with Indianapolis in relief on 9/17 at Gwinnett, allowing one run in 2.0 innings...Went a combined 4-1 with a 2.81 ERA (99.1 IP/31 ER), 116 strikeouts and a .196 batting average against (70-for-358) over his 27 appearances (23 starts) split between Altoona and Indianapolis...Was selected by Pittsburgh on 9/23 and made his Major League debut out of the bullpen that night at Cincinnati, earning the win after pitching a scoreless sixth inning in the Pirates’ 4-2 victory...Became one of only four Pittsburgh left-handed relief pitchers in the Modern Era (since 1901) to earn the win in his big-league debut, joining Bill Werle on 4/22/49 vs. Cincinnati, Joe Gibbon on 4/17/60 (G2) vs. Cincinnati and Frank Carpin on 5/25/65 vs. Chicago (became the first Pirates left-handed pitcher to do that since Paul Maholm accomplished it in his start on 8/30/2005 at Milwaukee)...Allowed just one hit over his 2.0 scoreless innings of relief in the season finale on 9/28 at Atlanta, striking out three batters (first Major League strikeout was Ronald Acuña Jr.).
2024
Went a combined 4-2 with a 3.27 ERA (66.0 IP/24 ER) and 83 strikeouts in 16 appearances (14 starts) between Greensboro and Altoona...Began the season with Greensboro, where he posted a 2.55 ERA (42.1 IP/12 ER) after his first 10 starts...Posted a 1.80 ERA (15 IP/3 ER) in his final four appearances (two starts)…Was named the South Atlantic League Pitcher-of-the-Week for the week of 6/24-30...Was promoted to Altoona on 7/19...Struck out five batters in three scoreless innings while making his Double-A debut on 7/21 at Somerset...Was placed on the 7-day injured list on 7/30 (retro 7/29) with a left leg injury and missed the remainder of the season.
2023
Made his professional debut in the Florida Complex League on 7/20 and struck out four of the seven batters he faced in 2.0 scoreless innings as a starter on 7/23 vs. FCL Twins...Pitched 3.0 scoreless frames in relief on 7/25...Was promoted to Bradenton on 8/3 and made his first start on 8/6 vs. Tampa (0.2ip/0r)…Lost back-to-back starts on 8/12 at Fort Myers (2.0ip/2r/1er) and 8/18 vs. Lakeland (0.1ip/3er)…Pitched 4.0 scoreless frames and struck out seven batters on 9/1 vs. Palm Beach (Game 1)…Went 0-2 with a 3.44 ERA (18.1ip/8r/7er) and 28 strikeouts in nine total games (eight starts) between the two teams.
