Photo provided by Eddie Provident
The Pittsburgh Pirates wrapped up their Grapefruit League slate on Monday meaning we are now only two days away from the start of the regular season.
The Pirates flew to New York on Monday and will be at Citi Field against the Mets on Thursday afternoon — a nationally televised game — to begin the regular season.
Pittsburgh enters the year with raised expectations after a 71-91 showing and a last place finish in the National League Central a season ago.
For the first time in a while, there is legitimate optimism, not for the start of the season but for the fact that the Pirates could be playing meaningful baseball deep into September to try and push for their first postseason appearance since the 2015 Wild Card game.
General manager Ben Cherington and manager Don Kelly made their final decisions and the 26-man roster is now set as the Pirates head north.
Here’s a grade for each position group.
Catchers: Joey Bart, Henry Davis
As anticipated, Bart and Davis will make up the catching tandem to start the season with the latter expected to be the battery mate of Paul Skenes for Opening Day.
Neither player looked particularly good in spring training. Bart went 5 for 36 and struck out 17 times. Davis finished with a .161 batting average but two of his five hits went for home runs.
Davis has turned himself into a potential Gold Glove-caliber defender. Bart has a 108 OPS+ during his career in Pittsburgh. Davis will be looking for a better showing at the plate while Bart will be seeking improvement behind it.
Grade: C
Infielders: Nick Gonzales, Spencer Horwitz, Brandon Lowe, Jared Triolo, Nick Yorke
The right side of the infield looks formidable. Horwitz was far and away the Pirates’ best hitter last season — not that that’s saying a whole lot — but he did have a really solid season after returning from the injured list. The addition of Lowe, who will start at second base, will add plenty of thump after totaling 31 homers with the Rays last season.
But since top prospect Konnor Griffin will start the season in Triple-A, the left side of the infield is suspect at best. Triolo is a fine defender and can pick it at short. He’s shown flashes at times offensively but hasn’t ever been a consistent performer during his big-league career.
Gonzales is looking to rebound from a poor season in 2025. He wasn’t very good defensively at second base, either, and a shift to third base could prove even more challenging. But at the very least, the Pirates are hoping for stronger contributions at the plate.
Yorke earned one of the bench spots and can play a bunch of different positions on the field. Although he will primarily play the outfield, Ryan O’Hearn will also get some time at first base.
Grade: C+ (without Griffin)
Outfield: Oneil Cruz, Billy Cook, Jake Mangum, Ryan O’Hearn, Bryan Reynolds
O’Hearn should provide a nice boost to the lineup after reviving his career with the Baltimore Orioles the last few years and an All-Star campaign in 2025.
The other two starters — Cruz and Reynolds — will be looking for bounce-back seasons after subpar showings a year ago. Getting improvements from both players would be a major boost to the lineup. Cruz is as talented as any player in baseball. Reynolds has consistently been a well above-average contributor since debuting with the Pirates.
While the offensive potential amongst the trio is high, the defense is very, very questionable. That’s where Cook and Mangum come in.
Cook was awarded the final spot on the Opening Day bench. Mangum, who was acquired from the Rays, is a throwback player with good contact skills, speed and defense.
Grade: B
Designated Hitter: Marcell Ozuna
No Andrew McCutchen this year which is a little odd to write. Congrats to him for cracking the Texas Rangers Opening Day roster, by the way.
Instead of McCutchen, the Pirates will have Ozuna serve as their primary designated hitter after signing him to a one-year free agent contract. Ozuna, who was an MVP candidate in 2024, hit 21 home runs and drove in 68 runs for the Atlanta Braves last season.
Grade: B
Starting Pitchers: Braxton Ashcraft, Bubba Chandler, Mitch Keller, Carmen Mlodzinski, Paul Skenes
The first four names in the rotation had been known. Skenes, of course, is the Opening Day starter and will look to make it back-to-back Cy Young awards after a sensational second season with the Pirates.
Keller is the “old guy” of the bunch. It’s hard to believe this will be the eighth season for the soon-to-be 30-year-old. Keller has been a consistent performer the last few years but will look to put two halves together after fading down the strtch the last couple seasons.
Ashcraft and Chandler both debuted last season and bring plenty of upside. The former was used as a reliever and starter and impressed during both. The latter made his first appearance in August and created some buzz in a smaller sample.
The final spot in the rotation ultimately went to Mlodzinski, who will try and prove he belongs in the rotation for a second straight season. It wasn’t a particularly good impression the first time around, but he’ll get a chance to do it again. If he cannot, the bullpen will gladly welcome his services back.
Grade: A-
Relief Pitchers: Hunter Barco, Justin Lawrence, Isaac Mattson, Mason Montgomery, Yohan Ramírez, Dennis Santana, Gregory Soto, José Urquidy
Santana has been phenomenal since joining the Pirates and will be the primary closer to start the season for the first time in his career. Soto, who was added as a free agent over the winter, should also get some closer reps as the top left-handed option.
Mattson will look to replicate his breakout ’25 season. Lawrence has the potential to be really, really good if healthy. Ramírez returns for another year after after rejoining the Pirates in the middle of last season.
Barco and Montgomery give the Pirates a pair of intriguing left-handed options. Barco could double as a starting pitcher and provide length when needed. Montgomery brings an electric arm over from the Rays. Urquidy will serve as another bulk option.
Grade: B
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