Carmen Mlodzinski

Mlodzinksi was a competitive balance pick for the Bucs in the 2020 draft, after he saw his draft stock spike due to his performance in the Cape Cod League. Unfortunately, he's found it difficult to stay on the mound, as he struggled to rack up innings both while at South Carolina and in his first season in the pros. That changed in 2022, as he threw 105.1 innings with Double-A Altoona while serving as a starter. He likely has the stuff to stick in that role thanks to a solid, albeit not standout, fastball-changeup-slider mix to turn to. His control doesn't grade out well on most scouting scales around the industry, but Mlodzinski managed a passable 9.4 and 8.7 BB% in his two seasons as a pro. Given the lack of impact arms at the big-league level under team control in Pittsburgh, Mlodzinski will likely get the chance to prove he can be a big-league starter and that journey will almost certainly begin with Triple-A Indianapolis in 2023. If he can stay healthy and show some improved control, he could rise quickly within the Pirates' system.