Former Gator Hunter Barco Earns Win in MLB Debut
Hunter Barco has officially joined the big leagues.
The 24-year-old left-hander made his major league debut Tuesday night for the Pittsburgh Pirates, tossing a scoreless inning and earning the win at the Cincinnati Reds. Barco becomes the fourth Gator to make their MLB debut in 2025, joining Jac Caglianone (Royals), Brandon Sproat (Mets) and Philip Abner (Diamondbacks).
Barco entered in the bottom of the sixth as Pittsburgh held a 4-2 lead. The Pirates (67-89), which are already eliminated from postseason contention, were playing spoiler against a Reds team clinging to Wild Card hopes. Cincinnati entered the night tied for the third NL Wild Card spot, so every out mattered.
Barco retired Noelvi Marte on a lineout to open the inning, but the Reds quickly pressured him. Miguel Andújar singled, and after a fielder’s choice, Elly De La Cruz added another hit to move Spencer Steer to third. With two on and the tying run aboard, Barco got Matt McLain to bounce into another fielder’s choice to end the threat.
It wasn’t spotless, but it was effective: one inning, no runs and a lead maintained. Barco threw 19 pitches, 9 fastballs, five sliders and five splitters, averaging 93.6 mph on his fastball. Afterward, he made sure to keep the first pitch and first out balls as mementos from the night, with his family celebrating from the stands.
“A lot of emotions. … I’ve been working for this my entire life and I couldn’t have done it without them [my family],” he said. “When I stepped out of the bullpen… I looked around and I’m like ‘Woah, all right, we’re here.’”
A Jacksonville native and standout at The Bolles School, Barco was originally drafted in the 24th round of the 2019 MLB Draft by the Mets, but he chose to attend Florida. With the Gators, he posted a 17-5 record and a 3.18 ERA across 30 appearances, striking out 189 in 152 2/3 innings. The Pirates selected him with the 44th pick in the 2022 draft despite Tommy John surgery cutting his sophomore year short, rewarding him with a $1.5 million signing bonus.
He didn’t make his first professional appearance until July 2023, but his rise has been rapid. This year, Barco began in Double-A Altoona, where he started the season with a franchise record 25.2 scoreless innings and earned Eastern League Pitcher of the Month honors in April. After a midseason promotion to Triple-A Indianapolis, he finished with a 3.79 ERA and 82 strikeouts in 73.2 innings.
Pittsburgh added him to the 40-man roster Tuesday before the game, protecting him from the Rule 5 Draft, an annual event that lets teams claim minor leaguers not protected on another club’s roster. Though a regular rotation spot may not come until 2026, Barco showed Tuesday that he’s ready to compete against playoff-caliber opponents.
For the Pirates, it was a glimpse at a key piece of their future. For Barco, it was the night he officially arrived.
Category: Former Gators, Gator Sports, Gators Baseball, MLB
