Double-A is seen as the level that can really make or break a prospect. It’s a particularly interesting stop in the Pirates system, as after a stop in Greensboro during High-A, prospects get a test in how legit any power numbers they put up in Altoona.
Seeing an older prospect hit 20-home runs in Greensboro isn’t the most alarming of things, and there were probably a lot of people who didn’t give Aaron Shackelford a second look after doing so in 2021.
Drafted in the 14th round back in 2019, Shackelford lost what was supposed to be his first full professional season in 2020, starting in Greensboro last year.