Hunter

Barco

Since the news came down of Barco’s arrival yesterday, there’s been no indication that he’ll be lined up to start a game. He’ll probably just make one or two appearances in middle relief this week. Barco, 24, had a 2.81 ERA and a 116/49 K/BB in 99 1/3 innings between Double- and Triple-A this season.

It’s unclear if he’ll get a start or finish the season in the pen. As with the surprise Rafael Flores callup last week, Barco needed to be added to the 40-man roster this winter anyway, so there’s little harm in promoting him now. The 24-year-old had a 2.81 ERA and a 116/49 K/BB in 99 1/3 innings between Double- and Triple-A. MLB Pipeline has him as the Pirates’ No. 4 prospect.

Barco set a franchise record with 25 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings over six starts this season at Double-A Altoona to earn a promotion to the doorstep of the majors. The 24-year-old southpaw, who was a second-round pick in the 2022 MLB Draft, recorded a 34/7 K/BB ratio during that span. He’s not a highly-touted pitching prospect from a scouting standpoint, but the impressive results are impossible to ignore. He profiles as a strong back-end rotation starter for the Pirates once he’s ready to ascend to PNC Park.