Pirates/MLB category, Page 102
Pirates’ Mitch Keller gives up home run, records strikeout in All-Star debut
In an All-Star Game defined by a pair of catches at the wall in the first inning, Mitch Keller had no such luck. The Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander gave up the game’s first run on a solo homer by Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Yandy Diaz to give the American League...
‘Take what the draft gives you’: Pirates continue run on college players in MLB Draft
When the Pittsburgh Pirates owned the No. 1 overall pick in 2021, they employed a strategy to sign Louisville catcher Henry Davis to a below-slot bonus and used the savings to entice four top-100 prep prospects to bypass college scholarships with over-slot bonuses. This year, after the Pirates selected LSU...
Pitt pitchers Logan Evans, Dylan Simmons selected in 12th, 15 rounds of MLB Draft
Pitt right-handed pitchers Logan Evans and Dylan Simmons were chosen Tuesday in the 12th round by the Seattle Mariners and 15th round by the Cincinnati Reds on the third day of the MLB Draft. They were the 367th and 458th players drafted. Evans (6-foot-4, 215 pounds) transferred from Penn State...
2nd-day draft picks are sign Pirates could be pooling bonus money to entice prep prospect
Leading up to the MLB Draft, there was speculation that the Pittsburgh Pirates would bypass the top two prospects in favor of someone who would sign a below-slot bonus so they could spread their savings. That’s a strategy Pirates general manager Ben Cherington employed with the No. 1 overall pick...
Pirates load up on college players on 2nd day of MLB Draft with 1st baseman, 7 pitchers
When the Pittsburgh Pirates made a run on college pitchers by selecting seven consecutive on the second day of the MLB Draft, it was influenced by their scouting and the success of a 2022 pick. Call it the J.P. Massey Effect. The Pirates took Massey out of Minnesota in the...
Pirates pick Vanderbilt right-handed reliever Patrick Reilly in 5th round of MLB Draft
The Pittsburgh Pirates selected Vanderbilt right-hander Patrick Reilly in the fifth round of the MLB Draft on Monday, adding a reliever with high strikeout and walk numbers. The 6-foot-3, 215-pound Reilly made 14 career starts for the Commodores but pitched mostly out of the bullpen, averaging 11.7 strikeouts and 5.8...
Pirates pick WVU right-hander Carlson Reed in 4th round of MLB Draft
The Pittsburgh Pirates selected West Virginia right-hander Carlson Reed in the fourth round of the MLB Draft on Monday afternoon, adding a pitcher who has been both a starter and a closer in his college career. The 6-foot-4, 200-pound Reed has a three-pitch mix featuring a mid-80s changeup, a slider...
Pirates pick Oregon State first baseman Garret Forrester in 3rd round
The Pittsburgh Pirates selected Oregon State first baseman Garret Forrester in the third round of the MLB Draft, adding a slugger at a position of need in their system. The 6-foot-1, 208-pound Forrester batted .341/.485/.522 with 12 doubles, 10 home runs and 52 RBIs in 61 games for the Beavers...
Mark Madden: Picking Paul Skenes was rare, easy win for pitiful Pirates
When no single topic jumps out, refreshing sports notes are the best option. Just like the Pirates, I made the obvious choice. • Concluding that 2 + 2 = 4 shouldn’t get you congratulated. But, regardless, be glad that the Pirates drafted pitcher Paul Skenes. They have botched simpler. •...
Pirates’ Osvaldo Bido thrives in relief role, earning 1st MLB win in Arizona
Sometimes, individual accomplishments come in unique circumstances. Take the manner in which the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Osvaldo Bido picked up his first MLB win Sunday for example. Bido, who was one of seven pitchers the Pirates utilized in Sunday’s 4-2 win over Arizona, was the winning pitcher, delivering 1⅓ innings over...
How putting down his bat helped Paul Skenes become Pirates’ No. 1 overall pick
Paul Skenes already was college baseball’s best two-way player when he made what he calls the hardest decision of his life, leaving the U.S. Air Force Academy to transfer to SEC powerhouse LSU. Skenes concentrated on pitching, and the 6-foot-6½, 260-pound right-hander delivered one of the most dominant seasons in...
Pirates farm report for July 9, 2023: Luis Ortiz takes loss in Indianapolis
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 40-46) was knocked around by Memphis (Cardinals), 13-5. Indianapolis used seven pitchers in a bullpen game. RHP Luis Ortiz (2-2, 2.94), making his first Triple-A appearance since being sent down Wednesday, allowed five runs, three earned, on no hits and four walks in 1.1 innings. RHP Brad Case...
Pirates add Michigan State SS Mitch Jebb, prep RHP Zander Mueth with 2nd, 3rd picks in MLB Draft
The Pittsburgh Pirates selected Michigan State shortstop Mitch Jebb in the second round of the MLB Draft on Sunday night in Seattle. Jebb, 21, batted .337/.438/.495 with 15 doubles, seven triples, one home run and 36 RBIs this past season for the Spartans. He also shined in the wood-bat Cape...
Pirates select LSU pitcher Paul Skenes with No. 1 overall pick in MLB Draft
That Paul Skenes possessed a special mix of pitches was obvious, as the LSU right-hander relied on a triple-digit fastball and wicked slider to dominate college baseball in a way few others have ever done. What impressed the Pittsburgh Pirates was the combination of character off the field and competitiveness...
Group effort on the mound propels Pirates to win in Arizona, preventing sweep
Riding a four-game losing streak and hoping to avoid a sweep at the hands of Arizona before the All-Star break, the Pittsburgh Pirates got the desired result, utilizing seven pitchers in a 4-2 win over the Diamondbacks on Sunday at Chase Field. Carmen Mlodzinski, Ryan Borucki, Osvaldo Bido, Angel Perdomo,...
Pirates farm report for July 8, 2023: Termarr Johnson homers in Bradenton loss
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 40-45) gave up three runs in the top of the ninth and lost 8-7 to Memphis (Cardinals). RHP Juan Minaya (0-1, 3.86) took the loss, allowing three runs on four hits and a walk while recording two outs in the ninth. 1B Aaron Shackelford (.241) went 2 for...
Pirates prospect walks twice, Fox Chapel native closes out Futures Game as NL blanks AL
SEATTLE — Miami’s Nasim Nuñez hit a three-run double off Toronto’s Yosver Zulueta in the sixth inning, and the National League beat the American 5-0 Saturday in the annual All-Star Futures Game of top prospects. Milwaukee’s Jeferson Quero had an RBI single and Philadelphia’s Justin Crawford — a son of...
Pirates squander Mitch Keller’s 7 scoreless innings as Diamondbacks get walk-off win
For almost six innings, Mitch Keller was unhittable. For seven innings, the All-Star right-hander held the Arizona Diamondbacks scoreless. What Keller started, the Pittsburgh Pirates couldn’t finish. The Diamondbacks tied the score on an Alek Thomas solo home run in the eighth inning, and Corbin Carroll hit a bases-loaded single...
With No. 1 choice, Pirates can take best prospect or spread wealth
For the sixth time in franchise history, the Pittsburgh Pirates have the opportunity to select the best prospect in baseball with the first overall pick in the MLB Draft. Whether they will do so remains to be seen. With a deep draft class where LSU teammates Dylan Crews and Paul...
Pirates’ Henry Davis makes big-league catching debut in Friday’s loss to ArizonaVideo
The Pittsburgh Pirates’ 7-3 loss to Arizona late Friday evening was looking like it would go down as an unmemorable event. However, a late-game development might have offered a glimpse into the club’s future. Trailing by four runs entering the bottom of the eighth inning, with starting catcher Austin Hedges’...
Mark Madden’s Hot Take: Top-of-rotation talent Paul Skenes is best choice for Pirates
Mitch Keller deserves lots of credit for making the Pittsburgh Pirates’ season interesting. The right-handed pitcher is 9-4 with a 3.52 ERA. Keller has made 11 quality starts out of 18. Keller is an All-Star and could contend for the National League Cy Young Award. The Pirates aren’t yet very...
Pirates produce little offense against Arizona ace Zac Gallen in loss to D-Backs
One evening after mustering just four hits in a series-ending loss to the Dodgers, the Pittsburgh Pirates were once again limited offensively Friday, this time by Arizona Diamondbacks ace Zac Gallen, in the first game of three against the Diamondbacks in Phoenix. The Pirates, down Andrew McCutchen and Ke’Bryan Hayes,...
Pirates farm report for July 7, 2023: Luke Brown delivers homer, walk-off single for Greensboro
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 40-44) got past Memphis (Cardinals), 2-1. RHP JC Flowers (9.10) worked as an opener, pitching a scoreless first. RHP Jared Jones (1-1) followed and threw four innings, allowing one run on one hit and two walks with seven strikeouts, to earn the win. LHP Jose Hernandez (0.00) pitched...
Pirates place Andrew McCutchen, Ke’Bryan Hayes on 10-day IL
The Pittsburgh Pirates made a series of roster moves Friday evening ahead of their series-opening game in Phoenix against the Arizona Diamondbacks, most notably of which was the placement of Andrew McCutchen and Ke’Bryan Hayes on the 10-day injured list. McCutchen heads to the injured list, a move retroactive to...
‘They’re all 1/1 worthy’: A look at 5 prospects the Pirates could select with No. 1 overall pick
After winning the inaugural lottery, the Pittsburgh Pirates have the No. 1 overall choice in the MLB Draft for the sixth time in franchise history and the chance to take a future impact player. The question is whether that will be on the mound or in the outfield. Talent evaluators...
