Carlos Caro, a 19-year-old infielder, recently concluded his first campaign with the Pirates Black and Gold teams in the Dominican Summer League, playing 45 games overall. With a slash line of.310/.440/.504 in those 45 games, the 5-foot-11, 160-pound Caro demonstrated an advanced approach at the bat. Despite his tiny stature, Caro demonstrated good power as well, hitting five home runs and eight doubles in his 129 plate appearances.
The San Cristobal native should have more power to draw from as he advances through the Pirates organisation as he continues to expand out his 5-foot-11 body. The starting location for Caro’s 2024 season is unknown, but if his 2023 season is any guide, we’ll be talking about him a lot in the seasons to come.
Estimated level to begin 2024: It will be fascinating to watch if the Pirates push Caro to begin the season with Bradenton or if they allow him to play one more year in rookie ball, either in the Florida Complex League or the Dominican Summer League. Given that he just turned 19 this past November, it seems safe to assume that he will play in rookie ball for another year.
Charles McAdoo, the Pirates’ 13th-round draft pick from July of last year, made a terrific professional debut for Single-A Bradenton this summer, batting.302/.412/.510 in 28 games and 96 at-bats. During his brief tenure with Bradenton, the San Jose State product had remarkable power, hitting five home runs and totalling nine extra-base hits.
With 17 walks, he also demonstrated excellent plate discipline. Although his strikeout percentage was slightly higher at 22.9%, his power potential and ability to generate walks on a regular basis more than made up for his swing and misses. Last season, McAdoo spent most of his time at left field for Bradenton, but he also saw a lot of action at second base.
