First-Rounders Paul Skenes, Termarr Johnson Among Pirates’ Non-Roster Invitees

The Pittsburgh Pirates have invited 13 prospects to major league spring training next month, including first-round draft picks Paul Skenes and Termarr Johnson.

Skenes and Johnson are two of the five MLB Pipeline top 100 prospects who will be in this year’s big league camp. Joining them are pitchers Jared Jones, Anthony Solometo and Bubba Chandler.

The Pirates took Skenes with the first-overall pick in last year’s amateur draft, and he enters spring training with an outside chance at cracking the club’s opening day roster. A lot will have to go right for Skenes in order to do so with five professional starts under his belt.

Johnson, meanwhile, will not be in the running for a spot on the Pirates’ initial 26-man roster this year. Pittsburgh selected the second base prospect with the fourth selection in 2022. The 19-year-old had an .860 OPS and 18 home runs between Bradenton and Greensboro last year.

Of the top 100 prospects for the Pirates, Jones is the only one to reach Triple-A. With Indianapolis in 2023, the right-hander made 16 appearances/15 starts and went 4-5 with a 4.72 ERA and 99 strikeouts in 82 innings pitched. He had a 2.23 ERA in 10 starts with Double-A Altoona prior to his promotion.

Solometo and Chandler both reached Altoona last season. He ended the season with a 3.26 ERA between his time in High-A Greensboro and Altoona. Chandler finished the year strong and threw five-scoreless innings with eight strikeouts with the Curve in his Double-A debut to end the year.

The other Pittsburgh Pirates’ prospects to receive non-roster invitations are as follows:

• Pitchers: RHP Thomas Harrington, RHP Sean Sullivan
• Infielders: Andrés Alvarez, Jack Brannigan, Joe Perez
• Outfielders: Matt Gorski
• Catchers: Abrahan Gutierrez, Carter Bins

Harrington (No.6), Gorski (No. 19) and Brannigan (No. 20) are all listed as top 30 Pirates’ prospects in Pipeline’s most recent update.