What to Expect from Pirates Starting Pitcher Quinn Priester

Pirates fans have received first looks at several of the team’s high-end prospects, and another one is set to debut in western Pennsylvania in the coming days. Right-handed pitching prospect Quinn Priester will make his debut in Pittsburgh, as the Pirates summoned the 22-year-old to the MLB roster. Here’s a closer look at the young right-hander.

A Look at Priester

Just less than a week after the Pirates selected LSU RHP Paul Skenes with the first overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, another former Pirates first rounder will head to the Majors: Quinn Priester.

The Illinois native put up strong numbers in his abbreviated pro debut in 2019, then followed it up with a 3.04 ERA and 98 strikeouts across 97.2 IP with Greensboro (A+). The 22-year-old pitched well again last season as he spent most of 2022 with Altoona (AA), but missed time earlier in the year with an oblique injury (h/t MiLB.com).

This season, Priester’s ERA jumped to 4.31 ERA, as AAA hitters have been able to make harder contact on him. Priester gave up six home runs and 37 extra base hits across 87.2 IP in AAA, a stark difference from the 14 homers and 42 extra base hits he yielded between 2021-22. His BB/9 rate (3.6) is also up a tick from last year (3.0).

Priester’s ace in the hole is a sinker that comfortably sat in the 92-94 MPH range in Indianapolis (AAA), one that he loves to pound in the zone. Aside from that weapon, the 22-year-old’s arsenal includes a four-seamer, a curveball, changeup, and slider. He does get a fair amount of swings-and-misses on his stuff, including his curveball, which has good downward break and is a very difficult pitch to square up.

One other notable stat from his Minor League career is that Priester never threw more than 100 innings in a season. He’s already thrown 87.2 frames in 2023, so he’s very likely to set a career-high this season.

Pirates manager Derek Shelton told media on Saturday that Priester will make his MLB debut on July 17 against the Cleveland Guardians.

A Look at the Pirates

While Priester may not be a flamethrower like Skenes, nor a strikeout machine like Mike Burrows, Priester’s ability to induce weak contact and whiffs makes him quite the intriguing pitcher.

Priester is just one of several young arms that should see the Majors in the coming years. Aside from both him and the top pick of the 2023 MLB Draft, LHP Anthony Solometo figures to head to the Steel City as early as next season, given his success in both Greensboro and Altoona this year. Bubba Chandler, Hunter Barco, and the aforementioned Burrows — the latter two are currently recovering from UCL reconstruction surgery — are among other notable Pirates pitching prospects in the Minors.

Between those pieces and the emergence of Mitch Keller, the Pirates’ pitching staff has a bright future.