Baseball is officially back in Curve, PA! Fans will soon be filling the seats at Peoples Natural Gas Field eager to see Future Pirates stars, enjoy Curve burgers, and take in all of the Off the Rail Fun that a Curve game has to offer!

Curve broadcasters Jon Mozes and Preston Shoemaker are entering their fourth season on the air together in Altoona, and before the home opener on April 9, they answered some questions on their expectations for the 2024 Curve squad.

1. Who is the player on the Altoona Curve roster that excites you the most?

Jon – I’m excited to see more of Bubba Chandler. I love to watch young pitchers come into their own and Chandler has the type of stuff that you can dream on at the front of Pittsburgh’s rotation holding down a killer 1-2 tandem with Paul Skenes. He’s got the type of fastball that hitters just cannot catch up to and has feel for an ability to land both his breaking balls for strikes. At just 21-year-old he’s going to be one of the big stories for the Curve to start the season.

First strikeout of the campaign for @Bubbachandler_!

LISTEN: https://t.co/aioWvW3Svf
WATCH: https://t.co/6GP894jPtF pic.twitter.com/KvLEjI1Ihb

— Altoona Curve (@AltoonaCurve) April 5, 2024

Preston – If Jon is taking Bubba, then I’ll go with Anthony Solometo. This Curve roster is loaded with big time pitching talent, and Solometo is one of the best. After making it to Altoona last season as a 20-year-old, Anthony returns to Double-A this season with his eyes set on climbing the ranks. His delivery is somewhat funky from the left side, making it difficult for hitters to track the ball against him. I'm excited to see what he can do returning to Double-A, where he struck out 50 batters in 51.2 IP last season. Solometo and Chandler will be linked as they climb the ranks in the Pirates system, but its not outlandish to think about both joining the Pirates rotation within the next two seasons.

#Pirates No. 4 prospect Anthony Solometo allowed just one hit over four scoreless innings in his season debut Sunday.@USAFRecruiting #AimHigh pic.twitter.com/YwqyPQp41m

— Altoona Curve (@AltoonaCurve) April 9, 2024

2. Who is an underrated player to keep an eye on?

Jon – I’ve been impressed by infielder Jackson Glenn. He had a nice runway of games last year after Liover Peguero was promoted to Triple-A and I think he’s got a little more in the bat than he showcased last year. I think we’ll be looking at the Eastern League leaderboards in June/July/August and seeing his name all over the place. Plus, he seems to have a steady glove at second and third base with occasional reps at shortstop this year that should make him a valuable player for the Curve.

Oh yeah, we're cooking now.@JacksonCGlenn drives in @mattfraizer3 and it's 3-2 in the 6th. pic.twitter.com/ZEvSRtVZOJ

— Altoona Curve (@AltoonaCurve) April 6, 2024

Preston – Coming out of the Curve bullpen, Valentin Linarez is a guy who could open some eyes this season in Altoona. His Double-A numbers are limited to just three games, with two coming late in the 2023 season after a full season’s work at Greensboro. Linarez has a fastball that can sit 94-96 and touch as high as 98mph. He uses a slider and a splitter that have sharp movement and averages a high spin rate on all three offerings. Linarez has never pitched above Double-A, and the 24-year-old from the Dominican Republic is only in his second season as a permanent bullpen option, but if he can stay in the strike zone he could string together some strong numbers this season.

Nasty stuff from Valentin Linarez in the 6th, in 2 innings of relief he's got 5 strikeouts!

We trail the 'Ducks 1-0 pic.twitter.com/pQQHUQbXzj

— Altoona Curve (@AltoonaCurve) April 7, 2024

3. Who will hit the most home runs this season for the Curve?

Jon – I’m going to go with Jase Bowen. A year ago, he led Pirates minor leaguers with 23 homers and while the majority of those came at hitter-friendly Greensboro, I wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up in the 15-20 range again this year.

Preston – A season ago, the Curve had four players hit 10+ home runs, with Matt Gorski leading the way after hitting 17 home runs in 93 games. One home run behind Gorski was Mason Martin, who hit 16 in roughly a half-season’s worth of games with the Curve (69). I am going out on a limb here and saying that the leader in home runs for Altoona this season is not on the current roster. Aaron Shackelford and Seth Beer each have decent power, but I do not expect either to spend a full season with the Curve. Instead, I think Termarr Johnson will lead the way in the long ball category for Altoona. He knocked 18 last season while dodging injuries and playing in 105 games between Bradenton and Greensboro. It will depend on when Johnson gets the call, but if it comes before July, I think Termarr could outpace the others.

4. Fill in the blank: The Curve will make the playoffs if _ happens.

Jon – the starting pitching sticks together. Winning in this game often comes down to who has to use less of their bullpen on a daily basis and with Bubba Chandler, Anthony Solometo, Braxton Ashcraft, Sean Sullivan (who, by the way, was 6^th in the Eastern League in ERA last year) and Po-Yu Chen slated to start the year, the Curve have to feel good about whoever is taking the ball each day of the week. I think if that group of five sticks around for 15-20 starts each, then we’ll be looking at a postseason berth in Altoona.

Preston – the offense meets expectations. There are certainly very few question marks with the pitching staff to start the season, but offense is going to be a crucial part of the playoff picture for Altoona. Jase Bowen, Aaron Shackelford, Matt Fraizer, and Seth Beer have all hit 20+ home runs in a season in their careers. Factor that in with guys who do a decent job of getting on base such as Tsung-Che Cheng, Jackson Glenn, and Tres Gonzalez and you have a solid blueprint for success. Strong pitching will lead to low-scoring games, so if Altoona can find a way to score runs regularly and have an average offense, this is a team that could play meaningful baseball in late September.

5. Who is a prospect not currently in Altoona who you expect to arrive soon?

Jon – The easy answer here is Termarr Johnson, Pittsburgh’s first round pick in 2022 out of high school in Georgia. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s in Altoona when the weather warms up, but another name to keep an eye on for me is lefty Hunter Barco. Barco was a second-round pick in 2022 and missed extensive time recovering from Tommy John surgery. However, during his rehab, word was that he re-worked his arm action to become more consistent without losing the deception he showcased at Florida. He looked great at the Spring Breakout game and I heard good things from folks around Pirate City during Spring Training, so I think he’s a guy who could really impact the Curve once we get a few weeks into the season.

Preston – A name I was expecting to see on the Break Camp roster for the Curve was No. 10 prospect Jack Brannigan, who begins the season in Greensboro. Brannigan was just one home run shy of a 20-20 season last year, playing in 87 games between Bradenton and Greensboro. The former third round pick out of Notre Dame is in his third season as a Pirates minor leaguer and was a non-roster invite to Pirates spring training this spring. He can play around the infield, with third base being his most likely landing spot, and draws walks well. I see Brannigan hitting his way out of Greensboro early in the season, possibly joining Altoona when a player like Seth Beer or Aaron Shackelford gets promoted to Triple-A.

Stay tuned to the Around the Curve blog all season long at altoonacurve.com/blog.