With the draft over, the Pirates' short-season affiliates are getting underway. Their new New York-Penn League affiliate, the West Virginia Black Bears, or Morgantown, played its inaugural game on June 19. Bristol, in the Appalachian League, opens on June 23 and the GCL Pirates on June 22.
Morgantown will provide an early look at the success, or lack thereof, of the Pirates' 2015 draft, which was heavy on college position players. The Bears will have potential prospects at nearly every position, including three of the team's top four picks. In most years, the team will give opportunities to a number of players and see who can lay claim to more playing time.