'Baseball without the B.S.': Estimation rising internally for Pirates prospect Charles McAdoo

When Charles McAdoo arrived in Altoona on June 21 after being promoted from High-A Greensboro, his reputation preceded him.

Since debuting professionally for the Bradenton Marauders in 2023, McAdoo’s stature in the eyes of the Pittsburgh Pirates has grown.

A 13th-round pick (No. 377 overall) by the club in last year’s draft, the 22-year-old McAdoo quickly has emerged as one of the Pirates’ more promising prospects.

“He came highly, highly respected from the staff in Greensboro,” Curve manager Robby Hammock said. “He’s highly respected in the organization. Tremendous worker, plays the game the right way. He just plays baseball without all the B.S. He just gets it done.

“He’s different. The way he carries himself, the way he goes about the game, it’s different, and you can see it. A trained eye sees it very well.”

After a decorated and statistically robust collegiate career at San Jose State, McAdoo hit the ground running at Bradenton, batting .302 with five homers and 24 RBIs over 28 games last year.

Upon joining the Grasshoppers in April, McAdoo took his offensive production to an even higher level, slashing .336/.415/.561 with nine home runs, 52 RBIs and 15 doubles in 60 games.

McAdoo’s prowess at the plate led to his promotion to Double-A, news of which he received from Greensboro skipper Blake Butler, with his mom and dad visiting town.

For McAdoo, the offensive success simply boils down to the work he has put in.

“I would say it’s my preparation in the offseason and having a tough mental capability,” McAdoo said. “The game’s a good portion mental, like it is physical, so I feel like it’s a good tribute to my mental toughness.”

With the Curve, McAdoo has shown no signs of being fazed or slowing down, even if he’s still acclimating to his new surroundings.

Debuting with Altoona on June 22, McAdoo promptly went 2 for 4 with a double and a homer.

Less than 24 hours later, he hit another home run, and, on June 26, he was 3 for 5 with a double.

Through seven games at Double-A, McAdoo is hitting .280 with an OPS of 1.118.

“To be honest, it really hasn’t hit my head yet that I’ve changed places,” McAdoo said. “I’m still kind of getting used to it, but, so far, settling in has been good. Been going around a bit, seeing some things. Everything’s good out here.

“Just trying to take it one day at a time, getting settled in. Nothing too drastic, just try to keep the same routine. I’m fairly routine. Just try to keep everything light, not take it too serious and have fun.”

Speaking recently with reporters, Pirates general manager Ben Cherington had a confession to make when conversation shifted to McAdoo.

“Candidly, when we drafted him, I didn’t know much about him,” Cherington said. “Met him when he signed. Once you take (someone) in the 13th round or whatever, then you go back and look a little deeper.”

Fast forward to now, and Cherington is more intimately aware of McAdoo, who has risen to No. 29 on the Pirates’ top prospects list, per MLB Pipeline.

“Certainly, he’s performed all his life. Great kid. He’s done everything you can possibly ask him to do since he signed, and he earned this promotion to Double-A. We expect him to do well. He’s been a great success on the field and as a teammate, sort of all the way around. It’s a good story so far.”

McAdoo’s hitting has left few question marks regarding his offensive abilities, but defensively, it remains to be seen how he will be utilized as he continues to navigate the Pirates’ farm system.

Most of his college career was spent at second base. At Bradenton last year, McAdoo was used at second and left field.

The Grasshoppers played him primarily at third base, a trend that has held since he arrived in Altoona.

Whether it’s second, third, the outfield or elsewhere, McAdoo is confident he can meet the challenge head-on.

“I can play all over,” McAdoo said. “I’m not afraid to play anywhere on the field.”