North Shore Nine

Welcome to the weekly Scouting Prospects; The Top 30 series. Each week we will take a look at a different one of the Pirates Top 30 prospects, with a few bonus “double drop” weeks. The format of these articles will highlight and discuss the following.

• Scouting Score
• Performance
• Expectations
• Projected Debut
  
  When it comes to scouting grades, the scale used is 20-80. So, a 20-30 grade would be considered well below average. A 40 is below average, 50 is average, 60 is above average (Also called Plus) and 70-80 is well above average (or Plus Plus). For prospects the overall grade is where scouts expect the player to perform once in the majors. For example, a 65 grade would be an All-Star caliber standout player, whereas a 50 would be an everyday player and a 40 would be a bench player.

Zander Mueth:

Mueth was taken 67th overall in the 2023 draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates. He has been overshadowed by the fact Paul Skenes was taken at 1:1, but he is very much worth watching. He was given an over slot offer to leave his commitment to Mississippi to join the Pirates organization. He ranks high on the Pirates Top Prospect list but has yet to make any waves on the National spotlight. Though it is possible that is not going to last for long.

Mueth is graded at three pitches average or better with his Fastball, Slider and Changeup offerings. Mueth has a slightly below average graded control and his overall puts him at a back of the rotation option. Mueth has an interesting pitching mechanic, he come in with a low three-quarter arm slot. Add to that the fact Mueth stands at 6’6″ it allows for him to add a fair amount of deception to his pitching. His fastball sits in the low to mid 90’s and can get up to the upper 90’s at times. Scouts report his fastball has a lot of runs and some movement/sink to it which when added to his natural deception can make for a devastating combination. His slider sits in the low 80’s and comes with a lot of breaks, which cannot be said about his changeup. The control is his biggest issue according to scouts and talent evaluators. At 19, he should be able to add some velocity to his fastball and gives him time to work with the Pirate coaching staff to work on his lack of control. But what matters is what he can do on the mound in his first year of pro ball.

Mueth pitched in 2024 in the Florida Coast League, and with the season almost over he has pitched very well to start his Pro career. In his 12 games (11 starts) he went 6-1 with a 1.51 ERA he pitched 47.2 innings striking out 51 and walking 22. These are very good numbers even for a rookie league, especially considering Mueth is only 19 years old. He had a .268 BAPIP a FIP of 3.88 with a 9.63 K/9 and a 4.15 BB/9. His batting average against him was .194 and his WHIP was 1.17, he also only gave up one homerun in those games. While it is easy to get excited about these stats expectations will be to be tempered until Mueth can show what can be done at the next level.

Mueth should be starting 2025 in Bradenton at low A. Considering his age, it is likely, unless he pitches out of his mind, he will spend the full season there. Based on that, as well as what other sites are guesstimating, it is likely that Mueth would not see Pittsburgh until 2028 or 2029. Which would still make him only 23 or 24 which would be amazing to see. He was a high draft pick with a lot of potential, and early on he is living up to it. If that can continue, he could help, make the 2023 draft class one of the best in Pirates history. Only time will tell however, so sit back and watch his career unfold.