Photo provided by Eddie Provident
It’s been a while since the Pittsburgh Pirates had a mix of outfielders with upside as high as the group they have entering the 2026 season.
Last season, Pirates outfielders ranked 29th in baseball in batting average (.221), 23rd in on-base percentage (.305), 26th in slugging (.356), 27th in OPS (.661) and 22nd in home runs (50).
Down years from both Bryan Reynolds and Oneil Cruz did no favors, and Tommy Pham had a decent season but not one to rave about. Outside of the starting three, the Pirates had extremely limited depth with last year’s top options being Alexander Canario, Jack Suwisnki and Ji Hwan Bae — all of whom are no longer with the organization.
This season, Reynolds and Cruz comprise two-thirds of the starting outfield. Bounce-back seasons from both players who provide a huge boost, and there are reasons for optimism that both could happen. Reynolds has a solid track record during his tenure with the Pirates and Cruz is working hard to try and finally have his output match his talent.
Looking at the updated 40-man roster, the Pirates not only solidified their starting outfield but now have much improved depth to call upon when necessary.
The third spot in the outfield will go to Ryan O’Hearn, who signed a two-year, $29 million deal in free agency. O’Hearn was an All-Star with the Baltimore Orioles last season and was traded to the San Diego Padres at the All-Star break. Combined between the two clubs, the 32-year-old slashed .281/.366/.437 with 21 doubles, one triple and set career-highs with 17 home runs and 63 RBI.
While the defensive alignment is not ideal, the main focus for the Pirates this offseason was improving the offense and they did that by making O’Hearn the first multi-year free agent signing in over a decade.
One player who will help defensively is another offseason addition. Jake Mangum joined the Pirates from the Tampa Bay Rays in a three-team trade after making his big-league debut last season. Mangum is a strong defender capable of handling all three outfield spots and hit .296 with 27 steals in his rookie season a year ago.
It’s been an encouraging spring for the 29-year-old, who is 6 for 17 with a double, a triple, two RBI, a stolen base and three runs through his first six games.
Jhostynxon GarcÃa is another new face in Bradenton making a strong first impression in Grapefruit League play. The Pirates landed GarcÃa from the Boston Red Sox in a five-player swap in December, and the 23-year-old is 8 for 15 with a home run, three RBI, three steals, six runs scored and three walks against a pair of strikeouts.
GarcÃa is considered a borderline top 100 prospect who had a brief cup of coffee with the Red Sox last season for his first stint in the big leagues. In 81 games at Triple-A last season, he hit .271 with an .833 OPS, 18 home runs and 58 RBI.
There are a couple others on the roster who provide further depth and come with some upside. The Pirates recently acquired Tyler Callihan from the Cincinnati Reds for Kyle Nicolas. Esmerlyn Valdez is emerging as one of the organization’s better prospects and was added to the 40-man roster in protection from the Rule 5 Draft in the offseason. Billy Cook, who has played a handful of games for the Pirates the last two years, rounds out the group.
It’s not far-fetched to assume the outfield — at least offensively — will be a strength of the team in ’26, especially if Reynolds returns to form and Cruz’s efforts translate to result. O’Hearn’s addition gives the Pirates a formidable trio.
But improving the depth was crucial for general manager Ben Cherington this winter and could be one of the more underrated improvements of the offseason.
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