On March 29, 2024, the Pittsburgh Pirates traded pitcher JT Brubaker and future considerations to the New York Yankees in exchange for a player to be named later. Infield prospect Keiner Delgado was later sent to Pittsburgh on April 30 to complete the deal. Brubaker at times showed flashes but never quite figured it out with the Pirates. Delgado was considered the Yankees’ No. 21 prospect in 2024 per MLB.com. Their career paths have diverged in the years since.
Brubaker’s story is one of resilience. The Ohio native was a sixth-round draft pick in 2015 out of the University of Akron. The program, once cut but since reinstated, is best known for producing All-Star Chris Bassitt. Brubaker began his path to the big leagues in 2015 with the West Virginia Black Bears. Over the next few years, he steadily worked his way through the system.
In 2017, with the Glendale Desert Dogs of the Arizona Fall League, Brubaker was lights out in relief. The next season, splitting his time between Double-A Altoona and Triple-A Indianapolis, Brubaker continued to impress and was named the organization’s Minor League Pitcher of the Year. He missed some time in 2019 with a forearm strain but made the team out of camp in 2020. Brubaker became a regular in the Bucs’ rotation from there on.
Brubaker began the 2022 season as the Pirates’ Opening Day starter in St. Louis, an honor well deserved. While his numbers didn’t exactly look pretty, he remained a reliable starter who could eat innings and strike guys out. Unfortunately, Brubaker would miss all of the 2023 season, sidelined after undergoing Tommy John surgery. After months of rehab, he was shipped to the Yankees the following spring.
He began the year on the injured list and spent all of 2024 in the minors. Brubaker did make it as far as Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, a credit to his resolve. In spring training last year, he suffered three broken ribs on a comebacker, another untimely setback. Brubaker continued to work once healthy and eventually made it back to the majors. His last appearance prior to this run had come in 2022 with the Pirates.
Effective in a brief stint, Brubaker made 12 relief appearances for the Yankees, posting a 3.38 ERA in 16.0 innings pitched. His career-best ERA+ stood at 123 in this showing. Still, New York ended up releasing him in August, and he quickly caught on with the San Francisco Giants. Brubaker made five appearances for the Giants, including one start. His ERA ticked up to 4.26 in the small sample size.
Heading into 2026, Brubaker remains with the team and has a real shot at breaking camp. Outside of veteran options like Robbie Ray and Logan Webb, the Giants’ rotation remains young and unproven. Brubaker has the potential to provide stability and a veteran presence in the clubhouse. We wish JT Brubaker nothing but the best.
Delgado’s story is one of steady progress. Before coming over to the Pirates organization, he hit for a high average with some pop and stole plenty of bases in two seasons in the Yankees’ farm system. Delgado also briefly appeared in his native Venezuela’s winter league for Caracas in 2023–24. After one game with the FCL Pirates, he spent the rest of the 2024 season with the Bradenton Marauders.
In 89 games, Delgado batted .233, hit eight home runs, and led the team with 25 stolen bases. The 2025 season was even better, as he improved across the board with High-A Greensboro. It’s worth mentioning that the South Atlantic League is hitter-friendly, so evaluating talent at this level can be challenging. Still, it’s hard to deny the results from a prospect like Delgado. He ranked third on the team in home runs with 14, second in RBIs with 59, and second in stolen bases with 24, behind only Konnor Griffin.
Delgado played 120 games in Greensboro last year, the most of anyone with the Grasshoppers. Expect Delgado to begin the year in Double-A Altoona, regardless of how spring training plays out. While he’s spent most of his time at second base, he’s shown versatility with appearances at shortstop and third base. Delgado’s combination of power and speed makes him a prospect worth following in 2026.
