Former Mountaineer Pitcher Jackson Wolf Traded to Pirates

The Pittsburgh Pirates seem to be building a pipeline for pitchers from WVU Baseball. Pittsburgh swung a trade deadline deal with the Friars on August 1, sending first baseman Ji-Man Choi and veteran left-handed starter Rich Hill to San Diego in exchange for former Mountaineers’ left-hander Jackson Wolf and two more prospects.

This comes on the heels of the Pirates picking up flamethrower Carlson Reed in the fourth round of this year’s MLB draft. Wolf, himself a fourth-round pick, went to the Padres in 2021 after four years and 208.2 innings in Morgantown, compiling a 3.62 ERA with 205 strikeouts.

While Wolf stands 6-foot-7, he doesn’t fit the bill of a prototypical power pitcher. Rather than trying to overwhelm his opponents, Wolf tries to outsmart them with a four-seam fastball that tops out in the high 80s and a hard-breaking slider and changeup, which sit in the mid-70s and low 80s, respectively.

He made his MLB debut in July, appearing in one game for the Friars as a spot starter and allowing three runs across five innings.  Beyond that game, the highest minor league level he’s played at to date is Double-A, so he could use some more time to develop.

With his lanky frame, Jackson Wolf could easily build velocity. He’s a project arm, but one that could pay dividends for the Pirates.