PIT · AAA · P

Cy Nielson

Age 25 B/T R/L 6′3″, 210 lb USA

Pittsburgh org FV 35+ · #41 in org

This winter

What the Winter Plan does with Nielson: its decisions feed, the dated moves and the briefs

Rule 5 eligible; the plan leaves him unprotected on Nov 17.

Rule 5 pick risk 0.23 (the plan’s ordering, not a probability); expected loss if exposed 0.03 WAR.

Rule 5 protectiondue Nov 17 · medium confidence
Protect Termarr Johnson (2B, AAA, FV 45), Derek Diamond (SIRP, AAA, FV 40) and Keiner Delgado (SS, AA, FV 40) by Nov 17. Expose the rest; the most likely to be taken is Cy Nielson (AAA, risk 0.23; expected loss 0.03 long-term WAR, below the 0.06 that cutting Noah Murdock for a fourth spot would cost; the plan's rule protects at most three).

Development · trends & plan

Tracked levels only. Monthly values; gaps mark the offseason. The number beside each line is its last month, with that month’s sample (faded under 50 PA or 150 pitches), not the season.

Trends · Triple-A

Fastball velo 92.6 mph Sep ’26 · 153 pitches Aug ’26 – Sep ’26

Stuff 104 Sep ’26 · 153 pitches Aug ’26 – Sep ’26

Whiff rate 24% Sep ’26 · 153 pitches Aug ’26 – Sep ’26

Zone rate 49% Sep ’26 · 153 pitches Aug ’26 – Sep ’26

Walk rate 8.3% Sep ’26 · 36 PA Aug ’26 – Sep ’26

Minor leagues

MLB Stats API · public box-score data

SeasonLevel	Level	Team	Age	G	PA / IP	PA / IP ·Line
2026AA	AA	Altoona Curve	25	33	53 IP	53 IP · 5.60 ERA · 23.7% K · 12.0% BB
2026AAA	AAA	Indianapolis Indians	25	9	18 IP	18 IP · 3.00 ERA · 25.0% K · 7.5% BB
2025AA	AA	Altoona Curve	24	38	55 IP	55 IP · 5.40 ERA · 25.8% K · 11.9% BB

Prospect Pipeline: Perf+ 99 over his 2026 season (321 BF, mostly AA), 0.4 years younger than his level; trend −0.7 since 2025 (inside the year-to-year noise). Tag: Watch. MiLB Stuff 106 on 318 tracked AAA pitches. Prospects →

FanGraphs: FV 35+ · ETA 2027. Public pitch tracking exists only at Triple-A and some Florida State League parks; where he has it, the development panel above shows it.