North Shore Nine

Welcome to the weekly Scouting Prospects; Undiscovered Treasure series. Each week we will take a look at a different one of the Pirates prospects who fall outside of the Top 30. The format of these articles will highlight and discuss how the player came to the Pirates, how he has been playing and what to expect from them moving forward.

Magdiel Cotto:

Cotto was drafted in the 11th round of the 2023 Amateur Draft out of the University of Kentucky. He was the 317th player taken in 2023, though he was rated in the Top 275 in some national systems. He signed for slightly above slot and ended up pitching in 5 games in the Minors in 2023. In 2024 he is listed as standing 6’4″ and weighing 250 pounds. Like most recent drafted pitchers he comes to the Pirates throwing a fastball, slider and changeup combo. His fastball, according to reports, sits in the low 90’s and can top out in the upper 90’s.
In 2024 Cotto once again was in Bradenton for the Pirates, pitching out of the bullpen in a relief role. While scouts have noted Cotto as having some control issues they were very evident in his first full season. While his BB/9 (5.12) was high it was lower than the (8.1) it had been the year before, albeit in much less innings. Overall he has had a good season through mid July. He has gone 4-3 with a 2.56 ERA, over 38.2 innings he has struck out 37, walked 22 and only given up 23 hits. This gives him a 1.16 WHIP a .219 BABIP and a 4.62 FIP. Plenty of work to be done, especially as he hit seven batters this season to date, but there is a lot to like. He will need to cut down on the walks and hit batters. Though the fact he gives up so few hits has been his saving grace this year. If he is able to add some velocity and control to his frame and game then he could end up a very good reliever for the Pirates in a few years.

Cotto is 22 years old, he could get a promotion to high A Greensboro this year after the FCL ends and the great rearrange starts. Which would be a good test for a month or so to see how he would fair at a slightly more age-appropriate level. Regardless that means he is a year or two away from the AA and or AAA levels, if not longer. Which could mean that if he were to make the Pirates bullpen it might not be until 2027 at the very earliest. He is eligible to become a minor league free agent in 2028. He has a good build and some very nice tool that could make him a good reliever. If he can get the control to where it needs to be, he could end up being a good option for the Pirates bullpen down the line.