Jack Brannigan remembers the culture shock the first time he slid over to third base in college. A shortstop by trade, he moved to the hot corner while with Notre Dame, where he quickly saw why the position has that nickname. Everything was coming in faster, and he needed to tweak his setup and approach to make sure he was ready at a moment’s notice. A lot has changed in the following years. Brannigan was selected by the Pirates in the third round of the 2022 MLB Draft, and he’s risen to being one of the top hitting prospects in the Bucs’ system, with MLB Pipeline ranking him No. 11. He’s also playing more shortstop than third base now that he’s with Double-A Altoona, but that time at third has had a lingering effect. “It really allowed me to take some things over there [to shortstop] that I didn’t have when I was younger,” Brannigan said recently. “I think as you continue in the game, you add more tools.” Brannigan has some tools that make him an intriguing prospect, not to mention a candidate for the Pirates’ shortstop of the future. He has been one of the Pirates’ top performing Minor League hitters the past few years, hitting 19 home runs with a .914 OPS with Single-A Bradenton and High-A Greensboro in 2023, and 18 homers with an .834 OPS last year for Greensboro. |
The offensive production has dipped a bit in 2025, but he still grades out as a better than league average hitter with Altoona, slashing .226/.327/.349 with four home runs, 26 RBIs and seven stolen bases on seven attempts. He’s also showing that growth in the field, making just three errors at shortstop thus far. To put it in layman’s terms, he finds different ways to impact the game seemingly every night. “Not only can he impact the game offensively, he can impact the game defensively and with his legs,” Curve manager Andy Fox said. “And it’s his makeup, too. It’s another asset that’s huge … he’s the same guy every day, which gives him a chance.” That makeup is apparent when talking to Brannigan. When talking about hitting, the discussion doesn’t just dive into the mechanics or the approach, but the behind-the-scenes work. Getting that A-swing off comes down to good swing decisions, and he can only do that if he does his homework and recognizes what his strengths are in the box. |
The Pirates have implemented new technology throughout the system, both for scouting reports to help determine what a pitch shape will look like and machines that help replicate that shape during batting practice. He’s diving into that, and he’s discovering more about himself as a hitter. “Our scouting reports have definitely evolved throughout the years,” Brannigan said. “I think there’s more data that we can see. I think that when the Pirates brought in [Major League hitting coach] Matt Hague in the offseason, that’s been a huge difference in how we evaluate fastballs and know what the fastball shape is going to look like during the game.” There’s reason to be optimistic that growth will continue as he nears the Majors. He’s potentially not too far away. He got an invitation to Major League Spring Training this past year, and given the Pirates don’t have a clear succession plan for Isiah Kiner-Falefa at shortstop, it could create an opportunity for him in the not-so-distant future. That’s not where his mind is at right now, though. “It’s knowing the work I’m doing today is going to help me in the future if the opportunity presents itself,” Brannigan said. “It’s about taking it one day at a time.” |
MLB MORNING LINEUP PODCAST |
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On Sept. 2, 1948, Ralph Kiner hit his 110th career home run, setting a new franchise record for the Pirates. Who held the record before him? A. Paul Waner B. Honus Wagner C. Gus Suhr D. Jake Beckley |
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Checking in with some top performers in the Pirates’ farm system: • Shortstop/outfielder Konnor Griffin (No. 2 prospect in the Pirates’ system, No. 34 overall according to MLB Pipeline) was promoted this week to Greensboro. Griffin was the Bucs’ first-round Draft pick last year, and he crushed Single-A pitching in Bradenton, hitting .338 with nine home runs, 26 stolen bases and a .932 OPS. • Outfielder Will Taylor (not ranked) also made the jump to Greensboro this week. Taylor, the team’s fifth-round Draft pick last year, slashed .333/.424/.569 with four home runs and a 13.6% walk rate in his 29 games with Bradenton this season. He also ended his time in the Florida State League on a high note, driving home seven runs Sunday, the most of any player in the FSL this year. • Infielder/outfielder Nick Yorke (Bucs’ No. 6 prospect) is hitting .324 (23-for-71) with five doubles and nine RBIs over his last 20 games with Triple-A Indianapolis. Yorke is also averaging an exit velocity of 92.9 mph against fastballs, the best of any Indianapolis player this season (min. 30 batted balls). |
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What is it: Pecan cherry salad What’s in it: Arugula, lemon agave vinaigrette, breakfast radish, dried cherries, apple crisps, pecans Review: Finally, a food that I didn’t just eat with my hands. This is one of the vegetarian/vegan options at the ballpark (and a good pick if you’re trying to shed a few pounds, like your fearless beat reporter). The veggies are fresh and the dried fruit is sweet, and you can just grab it from the fridge and go.
Where to get it: The Market behind home plate
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A. Waner Waner hit 109 home runs from 1926-40 in his Hall of Fame career. Kiner (301) currently sits second on the Pirates’ home run charts behind Willie Stargell (475). |
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