Josh Broughton signs Minor League deal with Pirates

The Pittsburgh Pirates have added another interesting prospect to their Minor League system, coming in the form of the multi-faceted Josh Broughton.

Broughton was officially signed on October 24, and assigned to the FCL Pirates rookie league team on October 27. The Pirates listed Broughton as a third baseman at the announcement of the signing, though he has played several positions up to this point.

The Kansas City Royals drafted Broughton as a pitcher out of Valdosta State in 2019 in the 25th round. Broughton struggled in the Royals’ minor league system and was released after just six underwhelming performances in a shortened Covid year in November of 2020.

Following his departure from the ACL Royals, the two way player signed with the Ogden Raptors of the Pioneer league. Pitching again did not go well, but the batting numbers exploded. Through 92 games in 2021, Broughton had 142 hits with an average of .405 and 13 stolen bases. 2022 was good to Broughton as well as he tallied 139 hits in 88 games with 29 stolen bases and a .381 average.

The Pirates listed Broughton as a third baseman, despite playing a majority of his time in the outfield as a member of the Raptors with only five appearances at third base.

While the numbers in the Pioneer League were impressive, the Pirates are likely not expecting to much return from this signing. Broughton’s ability to play several positions is noteworthy, and his batting stats are extraordinary, but he doesn’t have an incredibly high ceiling. Jakob Goldfarb was signed by the Pirates out of Ogden just a year prior, and he looked even better than Broughton. Goldfarb lasted just a month and a half in Low-A.

While every player is different, and Goldfarb’s experience doesn’t mean anything for Broughton, it should be noted the difference between the Pioneer League, and the Minors, where Broughton has already previously flamed out of. But if Broughton can make an impact at the plate, and put up respectable numbers, maybe he will shine brighter the second time.