Konnor Griffin, 19, is baseball’s No. 1 prospect. Is he ready to be Pirates’ starting shortstop?
BRADENTON, Fla. — Nothing about Konnor Griffin is common. Griffin stands 6-foot-4, 225 pounds, with a statuesque build that could be chiseled from marble. He plays shortstop, baseball’s premier position, and his five-tool talent shined across three levels in his first professional season to earn minor league player of the...
Bubba Chandler strikes out 8, as Pirates overcome 6 no-hit innings to beat Braves
Bubba Chandler had no intention to throw four-seam fastballs on 74% of his pitches, but the Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander followed the instructions of catcher Henry Davis in his ear through PitchCom. “I just throw them,” Chandler told SportsNet Pittsburgh in a post-game interview. “I throw what I hear.” Chandler’s heater...
Former 1st-round pick Termarr Johnson reassigned as Pirates make more cuts
The Pittsburgh Pirates made another round of cuts from big-league camp Thursday that included a former first-round pick. Second baseman Termarr Johnson, the No. 4 overall selection in 2022, was one of eight players reassigned to minor-league camp. The 21-year-old Johnson batted .272/.363/.382 with 15 doubles, three triples, nine home...
Why the ABS system has Pirates catcher Joey Bart 2nd-guessing strikes, making challenges
Joey Bart has noticed from behind the plate that the strike zone is different for every hitter because of the use of the automated ball-strike system in Grapefruit League games. The Pittsburgh Pirates catcher is still adjusting to how the challenge system on calls could affect the outcome of at-bats...
Taylor Ward spoils solid start for Noah Davis by hitting 3-run homer as Orioles pound Pirates
Noah Davis was dealing through four scoreless innings against the Baltimore Orioles, recording four strikeouts and drawing seven whiffs while allowing one hit and one walk in his first start of spring training. With two outs in the fifth, the right-hander ran into trouble. He gave up a single to...
Dominic Fletcher discovers rhythm at plate, hopes to find a place in outfield with Pirates
BRADENTON, Fla. – Dominic Fletcher wanted nothing more than to pick up where he left off at the plate last season, only to have trouble finding the rhythm in his swing at the start of spring training. After going 1 for 11 in his first five Grapefruit League games, Fletcher...
Mark Madden: Pirates will honor Andrew McCutchen, whether he deserves it or not
Some characterize Andrew McCutchen’s departure to Texas as “sad.” Nah. Not from the Pittsburgh Pirates’ point of view, anyway. The Pirates didn’t want their clubhouse to be a museum. They moved on from a player who is old and past significant usefulness. A nostalgia act. An extra pierogi. It’s sad...
Isaac Mattson seeks to sharpen slider, changeup to complement his invisible fastball
BRADENTON, Fla. — Isaac Mattson has heard his disappearing four-seam fastball described as a unicorn fastball, invisible fastball or even the invisi-ball, but the Pittsburgh Pirates right-handed reliever has his own name for it. “I just call it a heater,” Mattson said with a smile. It’s a heater delivered with...
Konnor Griffin delivers key hit as Pirates beat Yankees
Keyed by a run-scoring double by top prospect Konnor Griffin, the Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the New York Yankees, 5-3, in spring training baseball Monday night in Tampa, Fla. With the Pirates trailing 3-1 and the bases loaded in the top of the fifth, Griffin hit a two-run, two-out, two-strike double...
Nick Yorke revels in being a ‘dirtbag ballplayer,’ willing to play any position the Pirates ask
BRADENTON, Fla. — For Nick Yorke, spring training meant adding another glove to play another position for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Where he added a first baseman’s mitt to his collection last year, a new one was needed to handle the hot corner this year. Selected 17th overall as a shortstop...
Billy Cook bounces back from season-ending injury with big day as Pirates beat Red Sox
BRADENTON, Fla. — Billy Cook was one of the feel-good stories among Pittsburgh Pirates September call-ups in 2024, as the outfielder made his major-league debut and had five extra-base hits and eight RBIs. A year later, Cook could only cheer for his teammates at Triple-A Indianapolis who got their promotions...
Pirates GM Ben Cherington pumps brakes on Konnor Griffin’s chances of making the team
BRADENTON, Fla. — Konnor Griffin has been one of the biggest stories in baseball this spring training, as baseball’s consensus No. 1 prospect’s five-tool talents have been on display in Grapefruit League games. Whether it was hitting two home runs over the replica Green Monster against the Boston Red Sox...
Healthy Hunter Barco adds new pitches in push for starting spot as Pirates top Tigers
LAKELAND, Fla. — Hunter Barco is pitching without restrictions this spring training, and having the reins off has the left-hander finally feeling like a starting pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates. “I feel much more free,” Barco said. “I don’t have to worry about anything. I’m just going out there pitching...
After recovering from badly broken arm, new Pirate Tyler Callihan seeks to dispel any doubts
BRADENTON, Fla. — Tyler Callihan seeks perfection in preparation, whether it’s working to keep his swing short to the ball or finding comfort in the field at second base, third base or the outfield. “It’s huge for me,” Callihan said. “I try to prepare as much as I can before...
Braxton Ashcraft proves sinker can be effective complement to slider as Pirates lose to Phillies
BRADENTON, Fla. — Braxton Ashcraft decided to flip the script on his pitch usage against the Philadelphia Phillies, throwing his sinker five times more than his four-seam fastball. The intention was for the sinker to provide a perfect complement to his bread-and-butter pitch, the slider, against a lineup loaded with...
A bad hop broke Pirates 3rd base prospect Jack Brannigan’s nose but not his resolve
BRADENTON, Fla. — Bryson Stott’s sharp grounder hit the lip between the grass and infield dirt, skipping over the glove of Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman Jack Brannigan and hitting him square in the nose. It happened so fast that Brannigan was stunned. As his eyes began to water, a thought...
Alika Williams hits 2-run shot for 1st homer as a major leaguer but Pirates lose to Cardinals
BRADENTON, Fla. — Alika Williams would love to tell the tale of what it was like to watch his first home run in a Pittsburgh Pirates uniform, even one that came in a Grapefruit League game. One problem. “I didn’t see it. My head was down,” Williams said. “I didn’t...
Pirates great Andrew McCutchen to sign a minor-league deal with Rangers, per report
BRADENTON, Fla. — One of the biggest storylines entering spring training was that the Pittsburgh Pirates appeared to be moving on from franchise icon Andrew McCutchen. The 39-year-old designated hitter isn’t done playing baseball. The five-time All-Star and 2013 National League MVP is signing a minor-league deal with an invite...
1 year later, reliever Justin Lawrence finds rhythm, seeks defined role with the Pirates
BRADENTON, Fla. — Justin Lawrence sent his wife a joke text wishing her a happy anniversary Sunday, marking a year since he was designated for assignment by the Colorado Rockies. Lawrence celebrated the one-year anniversary of being claimed by the Pittsburgh Pirates with an impressive outing in a World Baseball...
Pirates trade reliever Kyle Nicolas to Reds for IF/OF Tyler Callihan
The Pittsburgh Pirates traded right-handed reliever Kyle Nicolas to the Cincinnati Reds for infielder/outfielder Tyler Callihan. Callihan, 25, is ranked the Reds’ No. 19 prospect by both Baseball America and MLB Pipeline. The 5-foot-11, 205-pounder made his major league debut April 30 and went 1 for 6 in four games....
Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: Why an ex-Pirates player finds Konnor Griffin ‘hard not to root for’
BRADENTON, Fla. — The good-natured ribbing came from across the Pittsburgh Pirates clubhouse, as a teammate teased Konnor Griffin about finally getting a hit that stayed inside the ballpark. Too bad it didn’t count. After his first three hits of spring training were home runs — all with exit velocities...
Pirates’ Paul Skenes solid as U.S. cruises past Giants in tuneup for World Baseball Classic
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — The United States wasted little time showing how potent its roster could be at the upcoming World Baseball Classic. The Americans needed just three batters to take a 2-0 lead in the first inning of their exhibition game against the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday after Bobby...
For Bethel Park’s Justin Meis, pitching for Colombia against Pirates ‘definitely different’
BRADENTON, Fla. — Justin Meis was so flustered after he finished the fourth inning that he went to the wrong dugout. Meis could only laugh, knowing it was an understandable mistake. The 26-year-old right-hander, who spent last season with Double-A Altoona, pitched for Team Colombia in a 7-1 loss to...
Team USA sets pitcher rotation for World Baseball Classic, including Pirates’ Paul Skenes
PHOENIX — San Francisco Giants ace Logan Webb will start on the mound for Team USA in its first World Baseball Classic game Friday night against Brazil, manager Mark DeRosa said Monday. DeRosa added that two-time defending AL Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal is expected to start Saturday against...
Spring shift: Ryan O’Hearn ‘getting ready to be a solid right fielder’ for Pirates
BRADENTON, Fla. — The possibility of playing right field was discussed briefly between Ryan O’Hearn and the Pittsburgh Pirates during free agency, but the plan was for him to split time primarily at first base and designated hitter. When the Pirates signed three-time All-Star designated hitter Marcell Ozuna, they called...
