When Michael Chernow visited the Arizona Fall League about a month ago, the Pirates director of coaching and player development watched gigantic prospect Tony Blanco Jr. crank a 464-foot home run and scorch a double that left his bat at 120.4 mph.
Yet those feats weren’t what impressed Chernow the most.
Three other times, Chernow saw Blanco work walks out of 0-2 counts, reinforcing his belief that the Pirates’ 30th-ranked prospect by MLB Pipeline — and arguably the organization’s most unique — has more nuance to his game.
“I do believe there is a hitter in there,” Chernow said. “I don’t believe it’s just a pure damage threat, although that is present.”
Blanco realizing his enormous potential would be an outcome for the Pirates, every bit as large as the player himself — and that’s sayi

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

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