Quinn Priester Named to International League All-Star Team

INDIANAPOLIS – Minor League Baseball today announced that right-handed pitcher Quinn Priester was named to the International League postseason All-Star team after he finished the 2023 season among league leaders in wins (T-3rd, 9) and strikeouts (5th, 116).

Priester, 23, went 9-4 with a 4.00 ERA (48er/108.0ip) in 22 games (20 starts). After a slow start in April, he logged a career-high seven-game winning streak and ranked among league qualifiers in ERA (2nd, 3.04), batting average against (3rd, .233) and WHIP (6th, 1.25) during the 15-start stretch from May 4-Aug. 25.

The right-hander entered the season rated as Pittsburgh’s No. 4 prospect according to MLB Pipeline. His season was highlighted by an 11-strikeout performance on June 24 vs. Columbus, his most since striking out a career-high 13 on Aug. 27, 2021, with High-A Greensboro at Asheville. He also struck out 10 batters in his final Triple-A appearance on Sept. 7 vs. Toledo, becoming the first pitcher in the Victory Field era to fan double-digit batters in a relief appearance.

Priester made his major league debut with the Pirates on July 17 and went 3-3 with a 7.74 ERA (43er/50.0ip) and 36 strikeouts in 10 games (eight starts). On Sept. 24 at Cincinnati, he threw 5.0 no-hit innings and recorded his first big-league quality start, exiting after 6.0 two-run frames.

The Glendale Heights, Ill. native was selected by Pittsburgh as the 18th overall pick in the 2019 First-Year Player Draft out of Cary-Grove (Cary, Ill.) High School.

Priester is the sixth Indians starting pitcher to be named to the IL postseason All-Star team, joining Fritz Ackley (1963), Ben Hendrickson (2004), Zach Duke (2005), Steven Brault (2017) and Mitch Keller (2019). The previous five all took home the IL’s Most Valuable Pitcher honor.

2023 International League All-Stars

First Base – Luken Baker, Memphis (St. Louis)
Second Base – Jonathan Aranda, Durham (Tampa Bay)
Shortstop – Weston Wilson, Lehigh Valley (Philadelphia)
Third Base – Justyn-Henry Malloy, Toledo (Detroit)
Catcher – Iván Herrera, Memphis (St. Louis)
Outfield – Estevan Florial, Scranton/W-B (New York, AL)
Outfield – Colton Cowser, Norfolk (Baltimore)
Outfield – Wilyer Abreu, Worcester (Boston)
Designated Hitter – Christian Encarnacion-Strand, Louisville (Cincinnati)
Utility – Xavier Edwards, Jacksonville (Miami)

Starting Pitcher – Robert Gasser, Nashville (Milwaukee)
*Starting Pitcher – Quinn Priester, Indianapolis (Pittsburgh)
*Starting Pitcher – Allan Winans, Gwinnett (Atlanta)
Starting Pitcher – Louie Varland, St. Paul (Minnesota)
Reliever – Anthony Maldonado, Jacksonville (Miami)
Reliever – Kody Funderburk, St. Paul (Minnesota)

Manager of the Year – Buck Britton, Norfolk (Baltimore)
Most Valuable Player – Luken Baker, Memphis (St. Louis)
Pitcher of the Year – Robert Gasser, Nashville (Milwaukee)
Top MLB Prospect – Masyn Winn, Memphis (St. Louis)