Pittsburgh Pirates’ right-hander Khristian Curtis is one of the team’s best prospects. Baseball America ranks him as the Pirates’ 6th-best prospect. The right-hander was the Pirates’ 12th-round pick in 2023. Nerve damage from ulnar transposition surgery in 2021 and a second surgery to fix the issue in 2022 caused Curtis to fall down the draft to the Pirates. However, based on his potential, he could be one of the Pirates’ best late-round selections.
Curtis has spent most of his 2026 season in the minor leagues, where he has a 4.90 ERA, 4.59 FIP, and 1.39 WHIP over 86.1 innings between Double-A Altoona and Triple-A Indianapolis. He has also struck out 28.6% of batters, with a 12.5% walk rate, and a 1.25 HR/9 ratio. Although his bottom line numbers aren’t great in the minor leagues, there are plenty of other reasons to be hopeful about Curtis.
Curtis has pitched eight shutout innings in his brief look in MLB so far. The right-hander has also displayed quality stuff. His fastball sits 95-96 MPH with 17-18 inches of induced vertical break. He also throws a change-up, slider, curveball, and cutter. The only pitch Baseball America grades out below a 55 is his curveball, which still comes in at a 50, giving him five average or better offerings. His 6.8 feet of extension also makes his stuff play up.
Curtis doesn’t have many hurdles to overcome to be one of the Pirates’ best 12th-round picks. Only 1 Pirates 12th-round draft pick has accumulated more than 4.0 bWAR in their career: John Smiley. Smiley did have a very successful 12-season career, where he was a two-time All-Star, including one with the Pirates, and racked up about 20 career bWAR.
Very few Pirates draft picks put up at least 10 bWAR in their careers after the 12th round through the 20th round. Those who did include Bruce Kinson, Rick Honeycutt, Jose Bautista, Gene Garber, Zach Duke, and recent Cooperstown Hall of Fame inductee Dave Parker (among those who signed with the Pirates).
There’s an easy path for Curtis to prove himself in the Major Leagues as well. Paul Skenes, Bubba Chandler, and Braxton Ashcraft have solidified themselves as the Pirates’ top three starters. However, the back-end of the Pirates’ rotation is up for grabs between Carmen Mlodzinski, Wilber Dotel, Antwone Kelly, Hunter Barco, Lake Bachar, and Curtis. Curtis is arguably the most talented among them, given his deep arsenal and his pitch quality.
Curtis has a legit chance to become a long-term starter for the Pirates. He already sits mid-90s with good action on his fastball, and a bevy of secondary offerings that all look solid. His control may need a little work, but he does have a 101 Location+ in his first cup of coffee in the Major Leagues. The Pirates should give him an opportunity in their rotation next year.
