Pittsburgh Pirates: Potential September Call-Ups

The final month of the 2023 season is nearly upon us. When September hits, Major League rosters will expand to 28 players. The Pittsburgh Pirates will likely call-up at least one notable prospect. However, I want to make a prediction on who will get called up once the Pirates (and all teams for that matter) get their two extra roster spots, and other potential names to watch as we head into the final week of August.

I think Jackson Wolf is a safe bet to get promoted. Acquired in the Rich Hill/Ji-Man Choi swap, Wolf has been a good pitcher at the Double-A level. In 106.1 innings split between the Pirates’ and Padres’ Double-A affiliates, Wolf owns a 3.86 ERA, 3.75 FIP, and 1.05 WHIP. Opponents are hitting just .215 against him while striking out 29.2% of the time, and drawing very few walks (6.6% walk rate). The one knock on Wolf is his 1.1 HR/9, which still isn’t all that bad.

There are a few reasons why I think Wolf is the safest bet to get sent to the Major Leagues, despite not playing any games at Triple-A. The first reason is he's already on the 40-man roster, so the Pirates wouldn't need to DFA or release anyone to promote him. My second reason is because he's already 24. The third reason is that he already has made his Major League debut. The Padres started him for one game before optioning him back to Double-A.