With the Pirates at 39-52 and just a game from having the worst record in TWB, it's time to start looking to the future. So with that in mind, let's take a look at some of Pittsburgh's prospects -- not just the blue-chippers (of which there aren't many) but the unexpected surprises and the disappointments as well. Herm Vardaman and Harold Perry, along with youngsters Ike Walker and Ben Giordano, are already in the majors, and we won't cover them here.
Hitters
AAA:
CF Albert Huschke: A 3rd round pick in the 1945 draft, Huschke has spent parts of three seasons with the major league club but all of 1948 in the minors. His best position is probably right field, but he plays an adequate center and has a good arm. He's not a power hitter, and his future is probably as a backup outfielder.
AA:
3B Bill Reed: Pittsburgh selected Reed with the 5th pick in the 1946 draft, and he's spent most of his time at AA since then. He's starting, this year, to show the skills the Pirates had hoped to see when they drafted him, hitting .270/.400/.458 with 15 homers and a stellar 70-23 BB:K ratio. He'll likely see AAA this season, and maybe the majors in 1949. With the emergence of Ike Walker in the major leagues this year, the Pirates have been playing Reed at 1st base to see how he takes to the position, since he has less than average range at the hot corner.
A:
SS Kenneth Whitt: Drafted at the tender age of 17 with the 7th overall pick in the 1948 draft, Whitt is an excellent contact hitter with an extremely sharp batting eye. His defense needs a bit of work, but he's a capable defender at shortstop, with some familiarity at second base. He's already hitting well at single A (.291/.400/.408) but will likely spend the rest of the season there and hit AA in 1949. He's got some time before he has to take over for Elmer Menard in the big leagues.
1B Ray Cargo: Ray has been something of a disappointment to the Pirates organization, as he's only now (in his 5th year at A ball) starting to show the promise that he might become a major league hitter. Still just 21 years old, Cargo has the build of a power hitter, but a long swing has given him trouble making consistent contact despite having a decent eye at the plate. Hitting .279/.352/.479, it's time to give him a shot at AA and see if he can handle better pitching.
Pitchers
AAA:
SP Matt Faughan: This is a guy that seems to have gotten where he is solely on heart. At every level he's pitched at, no one seems to consider him much more than an organizational soldier, but he continues to surprise. He doesn't have the best stuff, but he's got so much movement on his pitches that he doesn't always know where they're going. He posted a 1.71 ERA in his first season at A-ball, but had just 7 starts. In 7 more starts in his second season, he had a 3.56 ERA and the team challenged him with a move to AA. He didn't pitch all that well, and repeated the level this season. He seemed to have learned something in his struggles, as he came up with a solid 2.88 ERA in 18 starts and got promoted to AAA. He's had his turn in the rotation just twice since then, but has thrown 16+ innings and only allowed 3 runs. In this pitching poor organization, that earns him top prospect status.
A:
SP Babe Goodrum Jr.: Potential-wise, this is the best pitcher in the organization, but nagging shoulder injuries have kept him from reaching that potential. He's spent his entire career at single A, but it's far past time to see how he can handle the higher levels. He's 10-9 with a 3.86 ERA this season, but coaches have been saying that he's starting to throw the ball with more movement, and the addition of a forkball to his pitches has given him something else to fool batters with.