Pittsburgh Pirates / MLB category, Page 4
For Don Kelly, 1st Opening Day as Pirates manager represents a fresh start in dream job
Don Kelly has made no secret that he cherishes every moment of managing the Pittsburgh Pirates, and the season opener at the New York Mets on Thursday marked the first Opening Day as their skipper for the Mt. Lebanon and Point Park alum. Kelly shared an inspired message with his...
Mark Madden: Is it still hating if it happens? Expect 77 wins for these Pirates
I’m often accused of hating the Pittsburgh Pirates. Not true. I’m just a beacon of harsh truth. The Pirates were my first big sports love. I have 41 sets of ticket stubs from the 1971 world championship season to prove it. That includes Game 4 of the World Series at...
Paul Skenes leans into leadership as Opening Day starter wants to will the Pirates to win
Paul Skenes will be the first to admit that he wasn’t the leader of the Pittsburgh Pirates last season, instead taking a deferential disposition toward franchise icon Andrew McCutchen and other veteran players. Now that Skenes has asserted his dominance as a two-time All-Star starting pitcher, the reigning National League...
Tim Benz: Some Pirates optimism is warranted but let’s not go overboardVideo
If there is a line of people ahead of me who are more cynical and jaded about the Pittsburgh Pirates, it’s a short one. Yet here I am — with Game 1 of the 2026 season approaching Thursday — predicting 81 wins. I’ve been hovering around that number for quite...
Previewing the Pirates: Rebuilt bullpen could see Dennis Santana, Gregory Soto as closers
For the Pittsburgh Pirates, the final bullpen moves came down to their starting pitching, but the biggest decision will be who serves as closer. From the outset of spring training, the bulk relief role was going to be determined by who won the fifth spot in the rotation. When Carmen...
Lefty Hunter Barco scoreless in relief but Braves beat Pirates in Grapefruit League finale
Hunter Barco made the final cut for the Pittsburgh Pirates, then showed why he’s ready for a relief role. The 6-foot-4 left-hander tossed 2 1/3 scoreless innings to finish spring training with a 2.31 ERA after being scored upon once in five appearances. It was the way the game started...
Pirates reassign RHP Mike Clevinger in final cuts; Hunter Barco, Jose Urquidy make team
The Pittsburgh Pirates made their final cut of spring training, reassigning right-handed pitcher Mike Clevinger to minor league camp in a move that determined the final two spots in the bullpen. The 35-year-old Clevinger was 1-0 with a 5.02 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 15 strikeouts against 10 walks and a .200...
Mark Madden: Playing it safe with top prospects could be costly for Pirates, Penguins
The Pirates sent 19-year-old phenom shortstop Konnor Griffin to Triple-A. The Penguins continue to keep 21-year-old phenom goaltender Sergei Murashov at their Wilkes-Barre/Scranton farm team. I don’t agree with either decision. But I understand. Griffin has never had an at-bat in Triple-A and has just 83 at the Double-A level....
Previewing the Pirates: Carmen Mlodzinski earns final spot in starting rotation
The final few spots on the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Opening Day roster are filling in as spring training nears its conclusion. On Sunday afternoon, as the Pirates took on the Boston Red Sox in their penultimate spring contest, manager Don Kelly answered a major remaining question as to who would be...
Pirates fall to Red Sox in penultimate spring training game
The 2026 regular season is within sight for the Pittsburgh Pirates, who played their penultimate spring training game Sunday afternoon at LECOM Park in Bradenton, Fla. Mitch Keller, making his final start of spring, took on the Boston Red Sox and delivered 32⁄3 innings in a 6-3 Pirates defeat. Boston...
Pirates option C/1B Rafael Flores, RHP Cam Sanders to Triple-A
The Pittsburgh Pirates made a series of roster moves Sunday morning ahead of their spring training game vs. the Boston Red Sox, optioning catcher/first baseman Rafael Flores and right-hander Cam Sanders to Triple-A Indianapolis. Righties Chris Devenski and Carson Fulmer, left-hander Joe La Sorsa and infielder Alika Williams were reassigned...
Previewing the Pirates: With Konnor Griffin out of mix, Jared Triolo could be key at shortstop
The storyline that dominated spring training for the Pittsburgh Pirates was whether 19-year-old Konnor Griffin, the consensus top prospect in baseball, would be their starting shortstop on Opening Day. When the Pirates opted to reassign Griffin to minor league camp Saturday, it painted a clearer picture of who would be...
Pirates reassign top prospect Konnor Griffin to minor league camp
Konnor Griffin, MLB’s No. 1 overall prospect, possesses the kind of skill set that makes him a strong bet to make it to the big leagues sooner rather than later. However, at least to start the 2026 regular season, Griffin will head back to the minors to build on a...
Paul Skenes tosses 4 scoreless frames, Oneil Cruz homers as Pirates beat Blue Jays
In his final tune-up of spring training, Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes started Saturday afternoon versus the Toronto Blue Jays at LECOM Park in Bradenton, Fla. Skenes, who made one other start (Feb. 25) this spring and is fresh from winning a silver medal with the United States at the...
Pirates option Jhostynxon Garcia and Tyler Callihan to Triple-A
The Pittsburgh Pirates optioned outfielder Jhostynxon Garcia and infielder/outfielder Tyler Callihan to Triple-A Indianapolis on Saturday morning, reducing the number of players left at major league camp to 35. Garcia, 23, had been one of the Pirates’ top offensive performers during spring training, as he batted .405 with two homers,...
TribLive writers offer their predictions for the 2026 MLB season
Opening Day is set for Thursday across Major League Baseball, and TribLive writers Kevin Gorman and Justin Guerriero and columnists Tim Benz and Joe Starkey have thoughts on how the season will shake out. Here’s a look: Award winners NL MVP Kevin Gorman: Bryce Harper, Phillies Justin Guerriero: Juan Soto,...
Previewing the Pirates: Plenty of pop in the outfield but defense remains a real concern
When the Pittsburgh Pirates were in the process of signing Marcell Ozuna to be their designated hitter and approached Ryan O’Hearn about playing more outfield than first base, his response came with a request. O’Hearn expressed to general manager Ben Cherington that when asked to split time between multiple spots...
Konnor Griffin Q&A: Only 19, baseball’s top prospect says he’s ‘big on challenging myself’
Only 19, Konnor Griffin entered spring training as baseball’s consensus No. 1 prospect and in competition for the starting shortstop job for the Pittsburgh Pirates. The 2024 first-round pick (No. 9 overall), Griffin batted .333/.415/.527 with 23 doubles, four triples, 21 home runs, 94 RBIs, 117 runs scored and 65 stolen...
Joe Starkey: The Pirates will win 86 games, and thank you for asking
They thought Clint Hurdle was nuts. They probably think I am, too. Hurdle predicted 95 wins in 2013, with the Pirates mired in a 20-year losing streak. I am predicting 86 wins in 2026, with the Pirates mired in a seven-year losing streak — and I am going to be...
2026 Pirates 40-man roster breakdownVideo
The Pittsburgh Pirates have 20 pitchers and 20 position players on their 40-man roster as the 2026 season approaches. Here’s a look at each player: Pirates’ 40-man roster No. Name, Ht., Wt., Pos. 35 BRAXTON ASHCRAFT 6-5 218 RHP Went 3-2, 3.22 ERA, 36K/14BB in 36⅓ innings in relief, 1-2...
Quest to contend: Pirates bolster roster around Paul Skenes with eye on postseason
BRADENTON, Fla. — Paul Skenes sensed something felt different the first time he took the mound for the Pittsburgh Pirates this spring, once he looked at a lineup that featured All-Star additions. The Pirates won the inaugural MLB Draft lottery then sat on the winning ticket after selecting Skenes first...
Seth Hernandez sizzles in Spring Breakout, as Pirates’ 1st-rounder tops triple digits 10 times
All eyes were on the 19-year-old first-round pick of the Pittsburgh Pirates. For once, they weren’t trained on Konnor Griffin but instead another 6-foot-4 potential superstar. Seth Hernandez, selected sixth overall in 2025 MLB Draft, started the Spring Breakout against the Detroit Tigers with a sizzle by firing a 102.4...
Yohan Ramirez records 2 strikeouts in scoreless inning, but Braves beat Pirates
Yohan Ramírez made a case for a spot in the bullpen with a strong start for the Pittsburgh Pirates, striking out two of the three batters he faced in a scoreless inning. The right-hander has been scored upon only once in his last seven appearances this spring, giving up two...
Mark Madden: The Pirates will be better, but can they contend for a playoff berth?
The Pittsburgh Pirates are spending more. But are they spending enough? The Pirates will be better. But how much better? The Pirates went out and got three solid bats. But not Aaron, Clemente and Mays. A lot is being assumed by cockeyed optimists and media fanboys. But with Opening Day less...
Beyond the Bylines: Pens push for the playoffs; Pirates win totals; missing Pitt in March MadnessVideo
“Beyond the Bylines” is back after a week off. Joe Starkey and Tim Benz dive into March Madness. They discuss the state of the Penguins’ playoff chase, their upcoming schedule, Evgeni Malkin’s history and contract status, and the goaltending. The guys also look at the Pirates’ projected win total, Konnor...
