Kevin Newman
Draft Position – 1st rd, 19th overall in the 2015 June MLB Amateur Draft
Rise through the minor league system: Spent 2015 in the lower rungs of the minor league system for the Pirates, but has split time in 2016 at two different levels.
Where is Newman now?
Newman is currently with Altoona after spending the first 41 games of 2016 with High A Bradenton. His offensive numbers have steadily improved as he has gone up the minor league ladder, so this is certainly a welcoming sign.
Why is Newman untouchable?
Newman has been a hitting machine so far in 2016, registering a line of .353/.413/.471 at two levels this season. He does not have a ton of power, but his ability to hit consistently, especially as the competition gets harder as he progresses, is a fantastic sign. He would also be a great internal option to replace Jordy Mercer when he inevitably prices himself out of the Pittsburgh market.
He has risen through three levels fairly steadily, and has not looked overmatched at any level. For that, he has achieved untouchable status.
There is a fairly prominent prospect missing from this list.
Reading through the list above, some of you probably said to yourself, “Why isn’t Austin Meadows on this list?”
I honestly believe that Meadows is considered untouchable by the brass of the Pirates. He has a very high ceiling and is a viable option for the outfield as soon as next year. I just believe that the prospects listed above play positions where the team is fairly shallow. This is not to dismiss Meadows at all; he is a very highly ranked prospect for many reasons and I hope that he is one day patrolling the outfield at PNC Park.
However, in today’s MLB, if it takes Meadows to land a top-flight controllable starting pitcher, the Pittsburgh Pirates may be forced to include Meadows in a deal. If that happen,s the returning pitcher must be a top-flight name such as Chris Sale to justify losing Meadows.
There you have it. Our list of the most untouchable prospects in the Pirates’ system. Did we miss one? Let us know in the comments or on twitter.
Photo Credit – Bryan Green – Used under Flickr Creative Commons
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