Quinn Priester

Charles Quinn Priester (born September 15, 2000) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2023.

Amateur career
Priester attended Cary-Grove High School in Cary, Illinois. He played baseball and football, and was a member of the 2018 Cary-Grove football team that won the 6A state championship. He also caught a touchdown pass in the championship game. In 2019, as a senior, he had a 8–2 win–loss record with a 1.00 earned run average (ERA), striking out 91 batters in $60 1⁄3$ innings pitched. He was named the Illinois Gatorade Baseball Player of the Year. He committed to play college baseball at Texas Christian University.

Professional career
The Pittsburgh Pirates selected Priester in the first round, with the 18th overall selection, in the 2019 Major League Baseball draft. He signed with the Pirates on June 10 for $3.4 million. After signing, he was assigned to the rookie–level Gulf Coast League Pirates. Over nine games (eight starts) in the GCL, he went 1–1 with a 3.19 ERA, striking out 41 over $36 1⁄3$ innings. He did not play in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Priester spent the 2021 season with the High–A Greensboro Grasshoppers with whom he went 7–4 with a 3.04 ERA and 98 strikeouts over $97 2⁄3$ innings. In June, he was selected to play in the All-Star Futures Game.

Priester split the 2022 season between the Single–A Bradenton Marauders, Greensboro, Double–A Altoona Curve, and Triple–A Indianapolis Indians. In 19 starts between the four affiliates, he accumulated a 5–5 record and 3.29 ERA with 89 strikeouts across $90 1⁄3$ innings pitched.

In 2023, Priester began the season with Indianapolis. In 18 starts, he registered a 7–3 record and 4.31 ERA with 84 strikeouts in $87 2⁄3$ innings pitched. On July 17, 2023, Priester was selected to the 40-man roster and promoted to the major leagues for the first time. He made his MLB debut that day as the starting pitcher against the Cleveland Guardians; in $5 1⁄3$ innings, he allowed 7 runs on 7 hits and 2 walks with 2 strikeouts, earning the loss. In 10 games (8 starts) during his rookie campaign, Priester struggled to a 7.74 ERA with 36 strikeouts across 50 innings pitched.

Priester was optioned to Triple–A Indianapolis to begin the 2024 season after he was beat out by Jared Jones for the final rotation spot.