Lefty Anthony Solometo makes Top 100 debut as MLB Pipeline ranks 5 Pirates prospects

Left-handed pitcher Anthony Solometo made his Top 100 debut, as MLB Pipeline released its new Top 100 list Friday night that features five Pittsburgh Pirates prospects.

Right-hander Paul Skenes, the No. 1 pick of the 2023 MLB Draft, is ranked No. 3 overall. Second baseman Termarr Johnson (No. 44), right-handed pitcher Jared Jones (62), Solometo (82) and right-hander Bubba Chandler (93) are the other Pirates prospects that made the MLB Pipeline rankings.

Baseball America ranks Skenes its No. 9 prospect and has Chandler (59), Jones (74) and Johnson (77) in its top 100 but didn’t include Solometo.

Here’s how our guys stack up in the latest @MLBPipeline rankings: pic.twitter.com/HfOqG8ilhw

— Young Bucs (@YoungBucsPIT) January 27, 2024

The 6-foot-5, 220-pound Solometo, a 2021 second-round pick, was 4-7 with a 3.26 ERA and 1.19 WHIP in 110 1/3 innings over 24 starts and averaged 9.6 strikeouts and 3.2 walks per nine innings across two levels in the minor leagues last season.

Solometo, 21, started the season at High-A Greensboro, where he went 2-3 with a 2.30 ERA and 1.16 WHIP with 68 strikeouts and 25 walks in 58 2/3 innings over 12 starts before being promoted to Double-A Altoona. He was 2-4 with a 4.35 ERA and 1.22 WHIP in 51 2/3 innings over12 starts for the Curve.

A solid first inning for @King_S0L32 in his home debut! pic.twitter.com/pRPzn8FJRs

— Altoona Curve (@AltoonaCurve) June 23, 2023

Skenes is ranked behind shortstop Jackson Holliday of the Baltimore Orioles and outfielder Jackson Chourio of the Milwaukee Brewers and ahead of third baseman Junior Caminero of the Tampa Bay Rays and outfielder Evan Carter of the Texas Rangers.

After a dominant season leading LSU to the College World Series title, the 6-foot-6 1/2, 250-pound Skenes was selected first overall last July after the Pirates won the inaugural MLB Draft lottery. He signed draft-record $9.2 million bonus, then pitched one inning in the Florida Complex League, started two games for Low-A Bradenton and two games for Double-A Altoona.

The 19-year-old Johnson, the No. 4 overall pick in 2022, batted .244/.422/.438 with 12 doubles, 18 home runs and 59 RBIs in 105 games split between Low-A Bradenton and High-A Greensboro.

Chandler, 21, a 2021 third-round pick, was 9-4 with a 4.75 ERA and 1.50 WHIP and 10.2 strikeouts per nine innings in 24 starts at High-A Greensboro last season before earning a promotion to Altoona.

Jones, 22, a 2020 second-rounder, was 1-4 with a 2.23 ERA and 1.08 WHIP in 10 starts at Altoona before being promoted to Triple-A Indianapolis, where he averaged 10.9 strikeouts per nine innings while going 4-5 with a 4.72 ERA and 1.32 WHIp in 82 innings over 16 starts.