The Pittsburgh Pirates suffered yet another unfortunate injury, as first baseman Spencer Horwitz heads to the 10-day IL with a hamstring strain. That means the Pirates will have to call up an infielder, and Jack Brannigan is getting the nod. This will be Brannigan’s MLB debut, so what is the infielder bringing to the table?
Resume
The Bucs drafted Brannigan in the third round of the 2022 draft. They originally selected him out of Notre Dame as a two-way player. However, he has only played the field as a position player since the draft. Brannigan has hit well at every level of the minor leagues when healthy. This year, he is hitting .231/.347/.517 with a .377 wOBA, and 121 wRC+. He already has 11 home runs in 173 plate appearances, and a .286 isolated slugging percentage. Brannigan has spent most of his season at Double-A Altoona, but has played at both A-Ball Bradenton and High-A Greensboro while on rehab assignments.
Strengths
Brannigan has consistently shown good power at every level of the minor leagues. He posted ISOs of .249 and .252 in 2023 and 2024, respectively. His ISO is now approaching .300 at Double-A. Brannigan is also a power-speed threat. He fell one home run shy of a 20/20 season in 2023 and went 12-for-15 in stolen base attempts in 2024. He is also considered an above-average defender at shortstop. However, he came out of college as a third baseman and has seen ample time at second base, two positions where he is a potentially plus defender. Brannigan fired upper-90s fastballs at Notre Dame, so there’s no question his arm will play anywhere on the field.
Weaknesses
Brannigan is one tool away from being a five-tool player. His hit tool puts into question how useful his in-game power will become. Brannigan has always struck out at a high rate in the minor leagues, but has had some serious struggles at Altoona this year. He has a 39.3% K% and a contact rate of just 67.8%. Since making his pro debut late in 2022, Brannigan has struck out 29% of the time, and his lowest called+swinging strike rate is 29.9%.
Future Role With The Pirates
Brannigan fits the role of a utility infielder for the Pirates. Unless he starts making much more contact without sacrificing power, his glove will be his carrying tool. After all, Brannigan is an above-average defender at the most premium non-catcher position, and a plus glove at two other infield spots. That defensive versatility and capability, along with some home runs and walks here and there, could make Brannigan a valuable piece of the Pirates’ bench in the long term.
