Is 2024 a Make or Break Season for Quinn Priester?
As I sit here to write out my next article, we are less than two weeks away from pitchers and catchers reporting to camp.
In regards to the Pittsburgh Pirates, I recently did a piece, which was an overview of the bullpen competition entering Spring Training. You can check out it here: https://burgh-sports-united.mozellosite.com/blog/params/post/4431857/examining-the-pirates-bullpen-competition-for-spring-training-2024
The Pirates’ starting rotation will have some competition of its own. Mitch Keller is going to be joined by offseason additions Marco Gonzales and Martín Pérez, with the two other spots being up for grabs, unless GM Ben Cherington decides to bring in a third veteran starter.
Most of the candidates vying to make the rotation in camp will be young starters - the biggest notable being Quinn Priester.
Last year, Priester started out with AAA Indianapolis, and the results weren’t bad overall. While the 4.00 ERA isn’t anything to write home about, he did have a 3.59 FIP, and struck out 116 batters in 108 innings (9.7 K/9).
Priester received his call up to Pittsburgh on July 15th. The big league level results were a complete disaster, for the 23-year-old righty, as he recorded an ERA of 7.74, in 10 games (eight starts).
This chart from Baseball Savant breaks down the underlying figures of Priester’s rookie campaign.
Allowing hard hit balls was the unfortunate theme for Priester last season, in a Pirates uniform. Not many swing & misses, or chased pitches either.
Priester walked nearly five batters per nine (4.9 BB/9), which is a very high figure, especially for a pitcher who doesn’t throw super hard. He compounded the issue by surrendering 12 homers in only 50 innings, which comes out to a whopping, 2.2 HR/9. Oddly enough, Priester registered a solid, groundball rate, despite the amount of long balls given up.
Upon arriving to the bigs, Priester brought a five-pitch mix, with a sinker, curveball, slider, changeup, and cutter - the last of which he added to the repertoire in ‘23. Although Priester’s curveball is considered the best, within the Pirates’ organization, he actually used the slider more (23.6%) than the curve (12.8%).
Given that Priester really struggled with the Pirates a year ago, it’s a similar situation that Mitch Keller experienced as a rookie in 2019, and Keller continued to scuffle over the next couple years after. That being said however, Cherington remained patient with Keller, because there wasn’t much in the way of quality, pitching depth behind him from 2020-22.
In the case of Priester, he will have to look over his shoulder at the strong, pitching depth that’s on the horizon, with last year’s #1 pick Paul Skenes, Jared Jones, and Mike Burrows, who is returning from injury.
Simply put - Quinn Priester has nothing left to prove at AAA, even though he has a couple of minor league options remaining. Whether it’s cleaning up his command problems, or just having confidence in his abilities in general, Priester needs to make a statement this spring, and it will have to start by claiming a spot in the rotation. If he’s able to do so, then he must continue to be a mainstay in Pittsburgh during 2024. Otherwise, he could become an afterthought by seasons end.