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Pirates Top Prospects No. 11: Khristian Curtis Overcomes Adversity to Make MLB Debut
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- Pirates Top Prospects No. 11: Khristian Curtis Overcomes Adversity to Make MLB Debut
Khristian Curtis, Pittsburgh Pirates
This is one in a series of stories breaking down PBN's Top 30 Pirates prospects .
Big-league debuts for pitchers don't get much better than the one Khristian Curtis had for the Pirates on July. In the second game of a doubleheader against Cleveland on July 18, the right-hander threw five-scoreless innings out of the bullpen. He allowed just two hits, walked two and struck out four.
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Curtis was optioned back to Triple-A Indianapolis following the game. But he delivered a strong encore once he returned. The 24-year-old took the mound against the Dodgers in Los Angeles on Aug. 23. He threw three-scoreless innings and didn't allow a hit against one of the league's most dangerous lineups.
Curtis was again optioned following the game. He returned in early September and spent most of the final month of the season with Pittsburgh. He earned his first big-league win in his third-career appearance against the Giants on Sep. 3. Curtis made three more appearances to end the year and went through some growing pains most rookies endure. He finished the year 2-0 with a 4.71 ERA in six appearances.
For Curtis, it wasn't a particularly strong season in the minor leagues. He split the year between Indianapolis and Double-A Altoona and went 3-8 with a 4.90 ERA in 22 appearances/17 starts. Strikeouts were high for the 2023 12th-round pick (11.3 per nine innings). But so were walks (5.0 per nine innings).
But the fact that Curtis made it to the big leagues at all is remarkable. He underwent ulnar transposition surgery in 2021 and suffered complications, requiring a second operation. Some thought his career was over, but Curtis returned to the mound.
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Now that he's back, Curtis serves as important depth for the Pirates heading into 2027. While all his appearances came out of the bullpen with the Pirates this season, he could be in line to make some starts next year and beyond.
It wasn't all perfect for Curtis during his first taste of the big leagues. But he showed he's capable of holding his own. And he might pitch his way to a bigger role next year.
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