5 Pittsburgh Pirates players who shouldn't start next season in the big leagues

Pittsburgh Pirates who won't be on the MLB roster next season: Quinn Priester

Quinn Priester, like everyone else on this list, showed promise, and that's why he made it to the MLB level. But Priester was a surprise that the Pirates drafted with the 18th-overall pick of the 2019 MLB Draft.

In his eight games, of which he started six with the Pirates in 2023, he has been one of their most inconsistent pitchers. In those 8 games, he has an ERA of 8.61 but somehow holds a record of 3-2. Frankly, Priester has a lot of room to improve.

Priester's fastball lacks high velocity, with an average of 93 MPH, and batters are hitting an incredible .412 off of it. The run value on it is -8, the worst in his arsenal. His slider is hardly better, with batters hitting .303 and it boasting a -6 run value. Clearly Priester needs to continue to develop his primary pitches, let alone everything else in his pitch selection.

His troubles in 2023 have mostly been due to his lack of control. Priester often walks batters, which leads to more base-runners, and he often leaves his fastball right out over the middle of the plate.