The Pittsburgh Pirates protected a handful of players before last year's Rule 5 draft. They added six prospects to their 40-man roster last year. The big names included Esmerlyn Valdez, Wilber Dotel, and Brandon Bidois, but they also prevented Jack Brannigan, Tyler Samaniego, and Ryan Harbin from potentially getting selected. The Bucs will have plenty of potential 40-man roster candidates next offseason, but one of the most interesting that stands out is utility prospect Jhonny Severino.
The Pirates acquired Severino from the Milwaukee Brewers around the 2023 trade deadline for veteran first baseman Carlos Santana. Although Severino hit well in the short-season levels of the minor leagues, he struggled once he reached A-Ball. 2025 marked the first time he spent his entire season above the Florida Complex League, and he turned in just a .637 OPS, .304 wOBA, and 77 wRC+ for the Bradenton Marauders with a 25.2% K% over 468 plate appearances.
Despite Severino's struggles, the Pirates still promoted him to High-A Greensboro to start his age-21 campaign in 2026. It's been the right decision so far. He is batting .271/.310/.545 with a .364 wOBA, and 105 wRC+. Severino is hitting for plenty of power, with 19 home runs already through 287 plate appearances with a .274 isolated slugging percentage. He has cut down on the Ks as well, striking out just over a quarter of the time, to a 21.3% K%. However, his walk rate has remained about the same, at 6.8% and 5.6% in 2025 and 2026, respectively. Severino has become a very versatile defender. He had plenty of experience at shortstop, second, and third base throughout his career going into 2026. However, he is now starting games at first base, and has over 150 innings in left field.
Reasons To Protect Severino
Severino's offense is taking a massive step forward. He has always been known for his power potential and is finally showing it off above the short-season level, like the DSL or FCL. He is a consistently good baserunner, swiping double-digit bags now for three straight seasons. So far, he is 10-for-11 in stolen base attempts this year. His newly added versatility gives him plenty of avenues to make an impact in the Major Leagues in the near future. Plus, the last power-over-hit prospect who broke out at High-A in their age-21 season was Esmerlyn Valdez, and he's become a key member of their MLB lineup this year.
Reasons To Pass On Severino
Even though Severino's offensive line is good, the same concerns about his plate discipline from last year persist. During 2025, he had a 16% swinging strike rate, 12.8% called strike rate, and a 70.5% contact percentage. This year, he has a 16.8% swinging strike rate, 13.1% called strike rate, and 69.5% contact rate. He has also yet to get tested at Double-A Altoona. How Severino performs at Double-A could be the biggest deciding factor here over anything else.
Regardless, Severino's current performance has made him an interesting candidate for a 40-man roster spot. He has performed extremely well recently, with a .975 OPS since the start of May, so we may finally see what he does at Double-A Altoona in the very near future. He certainly could become a future key member of the Pirates' lineup, given his power potential and versatility.
