Prospect countdown No. 3: Harrington's command will be key
This is an ongoing series counting down the top five prospects in the Pirates organization. Tomorrow will feature a look at Konnor Griffin.
It's been quite the run for Thomas Harrington. He went from a college walk-on at Campbell to a first-round pick to nearly making the team on opening day.
With some of the best control in the minors, Harrington walked just 4.1% of the batters he faced in 2024, pitching his way quickly to Triple-A, where he made eight starts to close out the season.
He made it all the way to the end of camp, with the Pirates eventually going with Carmen Mlodzinski as their fifth starter.
Harrington has a fairly safe floor as a back-of-the-rotation starter despite not having overpowering stuff, he relies on his command of the strike zone to get hitters out.
The question will always go back to his fastball. It's a low-90s fastball, and while he gets a lot of carry on it from a lower-arm slot, it's going to be a pitch that will be hit around if he isn't hitting his spots.
He's one of the more major league ready prospects, not just in the Pirates' system. The level of success will depend on how he maintains the command of his fastball from a start-to-start basis.
Want to participate in our comments?
Want an ad-free experience?
Become a member, and enjoy premium benefits! Make your voice heard on the Steelers, Penguins and Pirates, and hear right back from tens of thousands of fellow Pittsburgh sports fans worldwide! Plus, access all our premium content, including Dejan Kovacevic columns, Friday Insider, daily Live Qs with the staff, more! And yeah, that's right, no ads at all!
THE ASYLUM
Anthony Murphy
4:52 pm - 03.25.2025Gordonsville, VaProspect countdown No. 3: Harrington's command will be key
This is an ongoing series counting down the top five prospects in the Pirates organization. Tomorrow will feature a look at Konnor Griffin.
It's been quite the run for Thomas Harrington. He went from a college walk-on at Campbell to a first-round pick to nearly making the team on opening day.
With some of the best control in the minors, Harrington walked just 4.1% of the batters he faced in 2024, pitching his way quickly to Triple-A, where he made eight starts to close out the season.
He made it all the way to the end of camp, with the Pirates eventually going with Carmen Mlodzinski as their fifth starter.
Harrington has a fairly safe floor as a back-of-the-rotation starter despite not having overpowering stuff, he relies on his command of the strike zone to get hitters out.
The question will always go back to his fastball. It's a low-90s fastball, and while he gets a lot of carry on it from a lower-arm slot, it's going to be a pitch that will be hit around if he isn't hitting his spots.
He's one of the more major league ready prospects, not just in the Pirates' system. The level of success will depend on how he maintains the command of his fastball from a start-to-start basis.
Want to participate in our comments?
Want an ad-free experience?
Become a member, and enjoy premium benefits! Make your voice heard on the Steelers, Penguins and Pirates, and hear right back from tens of thousands of fellow Pittsburgh sports fans worldwide! Plus, access all our premium content, including Dejan Kovacevic columns, Friday Insider, daily Live Qs with the staff, more! And yeah, that's right, no ads at all!
We’d love to have you!