The Pirates previously announced<\/a> Skenes as the Opening Day starter vs. the New York Mets at Citi Field on March 26, with first pitch set for 1:15 p.m. and a national television broadcast on NBC<\/a>.<\/p>\n Keller will take the second game for the Pirates vs. the Mets on March 28, with first pitch set for 4:10 p.m. and make it his seventh straight season in the starting rotation.<\/p>\n Mlodizinski will close out the series for the Pirates at Citi Field on March 29, with a 1:40 p.m. first pitch. He wins the fifth starting pitcher battle and rejoins the starting rotation, where he was to start the 2025 season as well.<\/p>\n The Pirates then travel to face the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park and will have rookies in Ashcraft start on March 30 and Chandler start on March 31, with both games having first pitch times of 6:40 p.m.<\/p>\n How Pirates’ Starting Rotation Should Look the Rest of the Season<\/p>\n The Pirates have their four starting pitchers for most of the season in Skenes, Keller, Ashcraft and Chandler, while Mlodzinski’s position is more precarious.<\/p>\n The 2025 National League Cy Young Award winner, the most veteran starting pitcher and two star rookies give the Pirates a great rotation, with all four looking to earn awards and get better throughout the campaign.<\/p>\n Mlodzinski made nine starts for the Pirates in his first stint in 2025, posting a 1-4 record, a 5.67 ERA over 39.2 innings pitched, 28 strikeouts to 12 walks and a .311 batting average allowed.<\/p>\n He did well through the lineup the first time around, but the second and third times presented issues for him.<\/p>\n Mlodzinski has done solid as a starter for the Pirates in Spring Training, with a 2.70 ERA in three starts and 10.0 innings pitched, but a .303 BAA and a 1.30 WHIP. <\/p>\n Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher Carmen Mlodzinski (50) throws a pitch in the seventh inning of the MLB National League game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Pittsburgh Pirates at Great American Ball Park in downtown Cincinnati on Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025. The Reds won, 2-1. | Sam Greene\/The Enquirer \/ USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images<\/p>\n It also helped Mlodzinski that right-handed pitcher Jos\u00e9 Urquidy, who the Pirates signed as a free agent this offseason, struggled in Spring Training, with a 9.35 ERA over three starts and 8.2 innings pitched.<\/p>\n Left-handed pitcher Hunter Barco<\/a> is still in Major League Camp, but he’ll either occupy a bullpen role or get more starting opportunities at Triple-A Indianapolis, with Urquidy in the same situation.<\/p>\n![\"Pittsburgh](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/01kmbfd5ztj6k1mvcydy.jpg\" "\\"Pittsburgh")
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