#10 Pirates Prospect - Tyler Glasnow

Buried Treasure Top 30 Prospects
#10 - Tyler Glasnow

Measurables: 6'7, 200
Bats: R, Throws: R
Position: P
 Acquired: 5th round (152nd), 2012
Bonus: $600,000
DOB: 08/23/1993
Buried Treasure 2012 Top 20: Not Ranked

2012 Biggest Prospect Disappointments

The Pirates farm system had a very good year in 2012.  Top pitching prospects Gerrit Cole, Jameson Taillon, and Luis Heredia pitched well and stayed healthy.  In the positional player department, young Latin American prospects Alen Hanson and Gregory Polanco enjoyed massive breakout seasons.  Several other players - Kyle McPherson, Jeff Locke, Nick Kingham, Barrett Barnes, Clay Holmes, Tyler Glasnow, and Wyatt Mathisen, among others - also performed well.  The net overall result was a resounding positive.  That said, it doesn't mean the system was without it's share of failures.  Looking at those failures might not be as enjoyable as the examining the success stories, but it's important to recognize the system's shortcomings. Six players that took a step backwards are listed below.

#23 Pirates Prospect - Zack Von Rosenberg

Buried Treasure Top 30 Prospects 
#23 - Zack Von Rosenberg

Measurables: 6'5, 205
Bats: R, Throws: R
Position: P
Acquired: 6th round (175th overall), 2009
Bonus: $1,200,000
DOB: 09/24/1990
Buried Treasure 2012 Top 20: #19

A Gross(man) Lesson

.631 .728 .688 .869.  Now the outlier is pretty obvious; it's .869.  It's also Robbie Grossman's OPS last year, a vast improvement over his previous three years.  Generally outliers are just that, outliers.  They are indicative of a fluke or statistical anomaly, but here Grossman's OPS increase represents genuine improvement.

#19 Prospect - Zack Von Rosenberg

Zack Von Rosenberg epitomizes the Pirates draft strategy under General Manager Neal Huntington.  My #19 prospect in the Pirates system was drafted in the 6th round, 175th overall.  That draft position was not indicative of his talent.  Ranked as the 41st best prospect in the draft by Baseball America, Von Rosenberg slid to the 6th round due to a strong college commitment to LSU.  However, the Pirates were able to convince Von Rosenberg to turn pro with the exact same 1.2 million dollar bonus that Clay Holmes received.