The Pittsburgh Pirates selected Quinn Priester in the 1st round (18th overall) of the 2019 June draft out of Cary-Grove High School in Cary, Illinois.
In Priester’s first pro season, he as 1-1, with a 3.19 ERA, with 41 strikeouts in 36.2 innings, spanning eight starts in nine appearances.
In 2021, with Priester coming off a full season on the shelf after sitting out 2020 the whole minor leagues, he started in 20 games and was 7-4, with a 3.04 ERA, with 98 strike outs in 97.2 innings while Class A Advanced opponents batted just .225 against.
On April 8, 2022, Priester suffered an oblique injury, putting him on the DL and returned back to full action on June 16, 2022 after a few rehab stints.
He started 15 games in Double A and was 4-4, a 2.87 ERA, with 75 strikeouts through 75.1 innings. One of his best starts of the season came on September 9, when he tossed seven shutout innings, allowing just two hits, two walks and struck out five batters, while earning the victory.
The Pirates sent Priester to Triple A for his last two starts of the season and on September 21, he tossed a five inning, two hit shutout, with a walk and six strikeouts. But game two and his last of 2022, he struggled with his control tossing 4.1 innings, and allowed four runs on three hits, and walked five.
Pittsburgh invited him to his third spring training and so far he has gotten into two games, has tossed two innings and allowed just one hit, no runs, a walk and struck out one.
The Pirates, have not made the postseason since 2015 and even though its been an eight year drought, they are building their team the right way with young talent who will soon enough put the Bucs back on the path to winning baseball.
Follow Priester this season as he works his way through the minor league season with a soon to be date with destiny. Major Leagues are right around the corner for the righty from Illinois.
