Players who forced their way onto the radar
Reinold Navarro, LHP (No. 21)
At just 19 years old, Navarro dominated with a 2.96 ERA in 24 apperances (17 starts) across two levels in 2026. Navarro trails just Hunter Barco (No. 16) for the top southpaw in the system. His plus fastball and filthy slider helped build a 15.38 K/9.
Like most pitchers, Navarro struggled in his taste of action at High-A Greensboro, known as a hitter’s ballpark. He tallied a 5.59 ERA in 9 2/3 innings after a late-August promotion, but showed plenty in his time at Single-A Bradenton to catch some eyes.
Carlos Tejera, OF (No. 24)
Tejera is still a long way from the Major Leagues after just turning 18 years old in July. He moved into the Pirates' Top 30 after the graduation of Valdez in July, and is already 6-foot-2 with plenty of room to fill in.
The left-handed-hitting outfielder dominated his first taste of the Rookie-level Florida Complex League, batting .296 with a .960 OPS and seven walks in nine games. Tejera signed for just $95,000 out of the Dominican Republic, the 12th-highest mark in the Pirates' class. He’s quickly outshining that value.
Connor Wietgrefe, LHP (No. 29)
Wietgrefe has always flown under the radar after his selection in the seventh round of the 2024 Draft out of Minnesota. But all the 24-year-old southpaw has done is dominate in professional baseball.
He has posted a 3.12 ERA in 277 1/3 innings over the last three years, and a 3.27 ERA across Double-A Altoona and Triple-A Indianapolis in 2026 has him pushing for a 40-man roster spot. Wietgrefe isn’t a stuff guy with a fastball typically around 91 mph. But he can certainly pitch.
