The Pirates’ farm system still has real juice at the top, with three prospects sitting inside MLB Pipeline’s top 100 - right-hander Seth Hernandez, outfielder Edward Florentino and third baseman Murf Gray - but not every once-promising name moved forward in 2026.
For a few players, the year only made the road back steeper.
Termarr Johnson was one of the biggest disappointments. The second baseman was supposed to take a step with Triple-A Indianapolis, and instead he hit just .199/.336/.319 for a .655 OPS in 96 games. He finished with 66 hits, 14 doubles, eight home runs, 37 RBI and 68 walks against 104 strikeouts.
His season got even worse on Aug. 8, when he tripped near first base and suffered tears to his ACL and LCL. Johnson needed pre-op surgery that included a left knee ACL reconstruction and an LCL procedure, which ended his year and puts 2027 in doubt.
Johnson opened the season in rough shape, batting .167/.284/.215 for a .499 OPS - one of the worst marks in the International League. He did settle in somewhat after June, hitting .223/.373/.399 for a .772 OPS from that point forward, but the injury is a major blow for the 22-year-old.
He had already fallen out of the top 100 prospect rankings in 2025, and by the end of 2026 he was down to 19th on MLB Pipeline’s Pirates list and 20th on Baseball America’s top 30. Pittsburgh selected him fourth overall in 2022, but he is far from meeting the expectations that came with that pick.
Thomas Harrington also slid further off course. He entered the 2025 season with plenty of buzz, had a strong spring and reached the majors in April, but it didn’t go well once he got there. He posted a 15.58 ERA over three appearances for Pittsburgh in 2025 and didn’t appear for the big club in 2026.
The Triple-A results haven’t helped his case either. In 2025, Harrington went 7-9 in 20 starts and 21 appearances with a 5.34 ERA over 96 innings, 90 strikeouts, 33 walks, a .251 batting average against and a 1.31 WHIP. In 2026, he followed with a 2-7 record in 14 starts and 33 appearances, a 6.02 ERA over 101.2 innings, 99 strikeouts, 42 walks, a .283 BAA and a 1.55 WHIP.
Like Johnson, Harrington was once a top 100 prospect in 2025, but he had dropped off that list - and out of the Pirates’ top 30 - by the end of 2026. One concern is that his stuff won’t simply overpower hitters, which means he has to lean on the depth of his arsenal to get results. The Pirates still want the 36th overall pick from the 2022 MLB Draft to tap into that upside.
Zander Mueth’s trajectory also has taken a hit. He arrived in 2025 with momentum after a strong 2024, but injuries and poor production have kept him from building anything lasting. Since the start of last season, he has thrown just 55.1 innings.
His 2025 numbers at Single-A Bradenton were rough: a 7.36 ERA over 22 innings and 10 starts, with 28 strikeouts, 25 walks, a .259 BAA and a 2.14 WHIP.
The struggles continued in 2026, when Mueth went 0-3 in nine starts and 13 appearances at Single-A, with 33 walks, 28 strikeouts, a .283 BAA and a 2.07 WHIP. Shoulder and oblique problems sent him to the injured list four times over the last two seasons and knocked him off the Pirates’ top 30 prospects list.
Mueth is now pitching in the Arizona Fall League, and the late-season move to the bullpen could give him a different path forward. He still needs to stay healthy, but if he puts together a strong 2027, he could climb back into the prospect conversation quickly.
In Other News...
Esmerlyn Valdez Is Raising A Familiar Pirates Concern
Esmerlyn Valdez gave the Pirates exactly the kind of early jolt they hope a young bat can provide, reaching the majors in May 2026 and quickly looking like a rare developmental win. By July, he had been named National League Rookie of the Month, and for a while it seemed as if Pittsburgh might have found a young hitter whose approach and power would translate right away.
But the second half has brought a more familiar concern for a club that has seen this movie before. Valdezs swing decisions and contact issues have started to look a lot like the path Jack Suwinski once took, which puts the Pirates back at a familiar crossroads: keep trusting the same developmental formula, or rethink how they handle a prospect whose early success has already started to bend the wrong way. [Read more 🡒]
Pirates May Have Found The Buy-Low Bullpen Arm They Need
The Pirates have spent plenty of time looking for bullpen help, and the search keeps circling back to the same need: a reliever they can trust when the game tightens late. Lucas Erceg fits the kind of buy-low conversation that can make sense for a club trying to add a high-leverage arm without paying full price, especially after Kansas Citys usage and evaluation of him have made him a name worth watching.
Erceg still offers traits Pittsburgh would value, even with some recent rough patches clouding the picture. The real question is whether the Royals would even entertain moving him, because if they do, the Pirates could see a reliever with upside and team control as a fit for a bullpen that needs more reliable late-inning answers. [Read more 🡒]
Pirates Fixed Brandon Lowe Now Fans Fear What Comes Next
Brandon Lowes first season in Pittsburgh offered the kind of infield makeover teams dream about. After years of being viewed as a defensive weak spot with the Rays, he settled in quickly with the Pirates and even earned recognition as a Gold Glove finalist, a sharp reversal that can be traced in part to the adjustments made by infield coach Chris Truby. It was the rare blend of polish and production, with Lowe also driving the offense and giving the lineup a steadier edge than expected.
The bigger question now is whether the Pirates get to keep any of that. Lowes improved glove and career-best bat made him one of the most valuable players on the roster, but he is heading toward free agency at a time when Pittsburgh already has reason to worry about what comes next. For a team that finally unlocked something special in him, the difficult part may be making sure the payoff lasts beyond one season. [Read more 🡒]