On this edition of the Pirates Prospect Update, we take a look at pitcher Hunter Barco, who is growing into one of the best pitchers in Altoona.
A standout prospect in High School coming out of Jacksonville, Barco was selected in the 24th round by the New York Mets due to his strong commitment to the Florida Gators college program, where he would opt to go to before going pro. With the Gators, Barco would further grow his draft stock as he went 17-5 with a 3.18 ERA across 29 starts in college. Following his sophomore season, Barco was drafted 44th overall by the Pirates in 2022.