​Sep 16, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; A hat and glove belonging to Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman Jared Triolo (not pictured) on the field against the Chicago Cubs during the sixth inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles L… | Source: Lastwordonsports.com – Augustus Oswald, Site EditorThe Pittsburgh Pirates had multiple top prospects break out this year. Seth Hernandez, Murf Gray, and Wyatt Sanford stand out as the best. However, one of the Pirates’ 2024 early-round picks took a noticeable step forward, even if his overall performance didn’t fully reflect it. Right-hander Levi Sterling looks to be one of the Pirates’ next best pitching prospects after an extremely promising 2026.Sterling’s Surface Numbers Don’t Tell The Whole StoryOn the surface, Sterling’s numbers are relatively pedestrian. In 108 2/3 innings, most of them at A-Ball Bradenton, the young right-hander posted a 4.56 ERA, 4.89 FIP, and 1.18 WHIP. He had a quality 28.9% K rate, with a respectable 10% walk rate. Sterling did struggle to limit the long ball, posting a 1.41 HR/9.Sterling posted solid under-the-hood numbers in Bradenton, where he threw 96 innings this year. He induced a 28.2% whiff rate while holding opponents to a 5.8% barrel rate. His 18.5% K-BB rate was the 13th-best among any A-ball pitcher who threw at least 80 innings at that level. For reference, the average K-BB rate at A-Ball this year was only 12.6%. He was also one of only 14 A-Ball pitchers with at least a 25% K rate and a BB rate of 10% or lower in 80+ innings of work.Sterling’s Stuff Took a Step Forward in 2026Sterling’s primary pitch is his two-seam sinker, which sat 92-93 MPH, with nearly 20 inches of drop (18.7) and 15 inches of armside run. But it is far from the only pitch he threw. He mixed in two breaking balls at almost equal intervals. His mid-80s slider induced a 34.2% whiff rate, and his low-80s curveball had over 50 inches of vertical drop and a 40.5% whiff rate.Although Sterling used his four-seam fastball only 5.9% of the time, he showed some impressive characteristics with it. His four-seamer sat 94-95 MPH, and he topped out at 97.4 MPH at Bradenton. Another thing worth mentioning: according to Baseball America, Sterling gained 3.6 MPH in velocity from last year.His fastball has plenty of movement. Sterling averaged out at 16.4 inches of induced vertical break, but just over a foot of arm-side run. Not only is that about average velocity and IVB for a four-seam fastball at the MLB level, but he also throws the pitch with nearly five more inches of horizontal break than the average MLB four-seamer (4.6 more inches, to be exact).Levi Sterling is all gas, no breaks. ⛽️5.0 IP | 9 K https://t.co/ZWbtsZYK3d— Young Bucs (@YoungBucsPIT) September 3, 2026Sterling rounds out his pitch mix with an upper-80s cutter and a mid-to-upper-80s change-up. His change-up also stood out for the amount of arm-side run he put on the pitch at 17.4 inches. For reference, the avera