With the 2011 minor league season complete we check in on the progress of each of the Pittsburgh Pirates preseason Top 15 prospects as ranked by our prospect ranker J.P. Schwartz. The post season grading report was done by the publisher of Top Prospect Alert, not Mr. Schwartz, and reflects only the 2011 season and not future upside or downside of the individual prospect. Our 2012 preseason rankings will be published in the coming months.
#1 Jameson Taillon GRADE: B
Taillon went 2-3 with a 3.98ERA for the Low-A West Virginia Power. He walked 22 and struck out 97 in 92.2 innings of work. Opposing batters hit .249 off of Taillon on the season.
#2 Stetson Allie GRADE: C-
Allie went 0-2 with a 6.58ERA for the Short-A State College Spikes. He walked 29 and struck out 28 in 26 innings of work. Opposing batters hit .208 off Allie on the year.
#3 Luis Heredia GRADE: B-
Heredia went 1-2 with a 4.75ERA for the Rookie League Gulf Coast League Pirates. He walked 19 and struck out 23 in 30.1 innings of work. Opposing batters hit .257 off Heredia.
#4 Tony Sanchez GRADE: C+
Sanchez batted .241 with 14 Doubles, 1 Triple, 5 Home Runs and 44 RBI’s for the Double-A Altoona Curve. He walked 47 times and struck out 76 times in 118 games.
#5 Starling Marte GRADE: A
Marte batted .332 with 38 Doubles, 8 Triples, 12 Home Runs and 50 RBI’s for Double-A Altoona. He also stole 24 bases. He walked 22 times and struck out 100 times in 129 games.
#6 Jeff Locke GRADE: B
Locke went 8-10 with a 3.70ERA between Double-A Altoona and the Triple-A Indianapolis Indians. Locke walked 55 and struck out 139 in 153.1 innings. Opposing batters hit .249 against him. In 16.2 innings with the big league Pirates covering four starts, Locke went 0-3 with a 6.48ERA.
#7 Andrew Lambo GRADE: C-
Lambo hit a combined .236 with 28 Doubles, 11 Home Runs and 58 RBI’s between Double-A Altoona and Triple-A Indianapolis. He hit just .184 in 60 Triple-A games. Lambo walked 43 times and struck out 107 times in 129 games.
#8 Zack Von Rosenberg GRADE: C-
Von Rosenberg went 5-9 with a 5.73ERA for Low-A West Virginia. He walked 23 and struck out 114 in 125.2 innings. Opposing batters hit .290 off Von Rosenberg on the season.
#9 Bryan Morris GRADE: B-
Morris went 3-4 with a 3.35ERA and 3 Saves for Double-A Altoona. He walked 33 and struck out 64 in 78 innings. Opposing batters hit .252 against Morris on the season.
#10 Chase d’Arnaud GRADE: B-
d’Arnaud batted .217 with 6 Doubles, 2 Triples, and 6 RBI’s for the Pirates. He walked four times and struck out 36 times in 48 big league games. He also stole 12 bases. At Triple-A Indianapolis, d’Arnaud batted .267 with 12 Doubles, 6 Triples, 4 Home Runs and 37 RBI’s in 74 games. He also stole 20 bases at Indy.
#11 Mel Rojas Jr GRADE: C+
Rojas Jr batted .246 with 16 Doubles, 7 Triples, 5 Home Runs and 46 RBI’s for Low-A West Virginia. He also stole 23 bases. Rojas Jr walked 46 times and struck out 119 times in 131 games.
#12 Rudy Owens GRADE: C-
Owens went 9-7 with a 5.05ERA for Triple-A Indianapolis. He walked 32 and struck out 71 in 112.1 innings. Opposing batters hit .289 off Owens on the season.
#13 Colton Cain GRADE: B
Cain went 6-8 with a 3.64ERA for Low-A West Virginia. He walked 31 and struck out 81 in 106.1 innings of work. Opposing batters hit .234 against Cain on the year.
#14 Jorge Bishop GRADE: D+
Bishop batted a combined .179 with 2 Doubles, 1 Home Run and 11 RBI’s between the Rookie GCL Pirates and Short-A State College. He walked 13 times and struck out 16 times in 39 games.
#15 Exicardo Cayones GRADE: C-
Cayones batted a combined .228 with 5 Doubles, 3 Triples, and 12 RBI’s between the Rookie GCL Pirates and Short-A State College. He walked 15 times and struck out 34 times in 38 games.