18.) Matt Curry--1B--23: To be honest, I had no idea who Matt Curry was coming into the 2011 season. He was a 16th round selection as a college senior in 2010, and this was actually the second time the Pirates drafted him, doing so in 2008 as well. He is said to be a “bat first” player, meaning that he can only hit, but he has a career .994 fielding percentage in two years in the minors. Curry hit well in 2010 after being drafted, finishing with a .299/.421/.477 line in State College, but good college hitters should perform well in that league. He started 2011 in West Virginia, where he also was expected to hit well because he came out of college. At West Virginia, he was unstoppable, hitting .361 with nine HR’s and a 1.148 OPS in 155 AB’s. This prompted his call up to Altoona, skipping over high-A because they wanted to give him and Aaron Baker (now in the Orioles organization) an everyday position. He struggled initially, but got hot after a month, only to finish the season terribly. In his time with Altoona, he hit .242 with six HR’s and a .694 OPS in 302 AB’s. This was disappointing, but he did still skip over a level. He should start 2012 in Altoona again, and could be the long term answer at first base that the Pirates have been looking for over the last few years, hitting for average and 15-25 HR’s.
OFP: 50 (Fringe Bench/Regular)
17.) Jarek Cunningham--2B--21: A lot of Cunningham’s potential comes from the fact that he can be a power hitting middle-infielder. He got off to a really hot start this year with his power, but began to slump around June, and this continued until July when he went to the DL with concussion symptoms. His overall line for the year was .260/.325/.514, and this includes the two games he played in the rookie league during a rehab stint. He doesn’t hit for a high average and he will strike out a good amount, but this can be overlooked if he has a high OPS and continues to hit for power. It is likely he will begin next season in AA as the regular second baseman. If everything goes right for Cunningham, he could turn out to be a player that resembles Dan Uggla, a player who won’t hit for a high average, but is that rare second baseman who can hit for power.
OFP: 52 (Solid, Everyday Regular)
16.) Bryan Morris--RHP--24: Morris is an interesting prospect. He was a 1st round draft pick by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2006, and came over to the Pirates as the prize in the Jason Bay trade. Since then, he has underperformed compared to the “front of the rotation starter” that the Pirates envisioned when they acquired him. In his first full season in the organization, he did terrible in high-A while battling injuries, then returned for another season, where he was dominant before being called up to AA. He pitched respectably there, and again started the season there this year. After making three starts, he strained his oblique and did not return until May. He came back and struggled as a starter, and was moved to the bullpen permanently. As a starter, his ERA was 6.04, but it was 2.05 out of the bullpen. Former Director of Player Development Kyle Stark hinted that Morris will remain in the bullpen, but there is still a slight chance he can still be a starter. Morris has dominant stuff out of the ‘pen, and this could help him move to the majors quickly next season. He is already on the 40 man roster, and will start next season in the Indianapolis bullpen. The best case scenario for Morris could be as a great set-up man or possible closer in the future.
OFP: 53 (Above-Average Bullpen Pitcher)
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