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After back-to-back 76-86 seasons, the Pittsburgh Pirates will be looking to win more games in 2025.
A full season with right-hander Paul Skenes leading the rotation is one way the win total could climb this campaign.
The 2024 National League rookie of the year went 11-3 with a 1.96 ERA and 170 strikeouts in 133 innings a season ago. He finished third in the National League Cy Young Award voting. The 2023 No. 1 overall draft pick out of Louisiana State will start Thursday’s opener at 4:10 p.m. against the Miami Marlins and right-hander Sandy Alcántara to begin a four-game series.
Skenes, 22, is the youngest pitcher to start an opener since the late José Fernández of the Marlins in 2014.
Alcántara, the 2022 National League Cy Young Award winner, missed the entire 2024 season due to Tommy John surgery. The 29-year-old hurler has a career 3.32 over seven seasons. He was an All-Star in 2019 and 2022.
This is the second straight year the Pirates begin the regular season in Miami. In 2024, Pittsburgh won all four games to begin the campaign.
The Pirates finished 7-0 against Miami in 2024.
The rest of the series’ games will start at 7:10 p.m. Friday, 4:10 p.m. Saturday and 1:40 p.m. Sunday.
Pittsburgh, which went 14-15-1 this spring, will send right-hander Mitch Keller (11-12, 4.25 ERA in 2024) against Miami right-hander Connor Gillispie, who will make his first major league start Friday. Gillispie, 27, appeared in three games for Cleveland in 2024 after logging 1131/3 innings in Triple-A.
Pirates left-hander Bailey Falter (8-9, 4.43) will oppose Miami right-hander Valente Bellozo (3-4, 3.67) Saturday.
Southpaw Andrew Heaney, 33, will make his Pirates debut Sunday against Miami right-hander Max Meyer (3-5, 5.68), who was the third overall pick in the 2020 draft. Heaney went 5-14 with a 4.28 ERA and 159 strikeouts over 160 innings with the Texas Rangers in 2024.
The Pirates finalized their 26-man roster Thursday.
Pittsburgh right-hander Carmen Mlodzinski is the fifth starter. The 31st overall pick in the 2020 draft posted a 2.91 ERA in 75 games over the past two seasons, only five starts as an opener in bullpen games.
Mlodzinski started 36 games in the minor leagues before moving to the bullpen.
The Pirates’ relievers include right-handers David Bednar (3-8, 5.77 ERA with 23 saves), Colin Holderman (3.16 ERA), Justin Lawrence and Dennis Santana (2.44 ERA); and left-handers Ryan Borucki, Caleb Ferguson, Tim Mayza and Joey Wentz.
Joey Bart (.265 average, 13 homers, 45 RBIs) and Endy Rodriguez, who missed the 2024 season due to Tommy John surgery, are Pittsburgh’s two catchers.
The infielders Adam Frazier, Nick Gonzales, Ke’Bryan Hayes, Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Jared Triolo, who won the 2024 National League Gold Glove Award as a utility player. Frazier played for the Pirates from 2016-21 and inked a one-year deal with the team this year.
Pittsburgh’s outfielders are Ji Hwan Bae, Oneil Cruz (.259, 21 homers, 76 RBIs), Andrew McCutchen (.232, 20 homers, 50 RBIs), Tommy Pham, Bryan Reynolds (.275, 24 homers, 88 RBIs) and Jack Suwinski.
Right-hander Jared Jones and first baseman Spencer Horwitz will begin the season on the injured list. Right-handers Dauri Moreta and Johan Oviedo are currently on the 60-day injured list.
The Pirates will then face the Tampa Bay Rays Monday through Wednesday and host the New York Yankees starting April 4.
Continue reading...
A full season with right-hander Paul Skenes leading the rotation is one way the win total could climb this campaign.
The 2024 National League rookie of the year went 11-3 with a 1.96 ERA and 170 strikeouts in 133 innings a season ago. He finished third in the National League Cy Young Award voting. The 2023 No. 1 overall draft pick out of Louisiana State will start Thursday’s opener at 4:10 p.m. against the Miami Marlins and right-hander Sandy Alcántara to begin a four-game series.
Skenes, 22, is the youngest pitcher to start an opener since the late José Fernández of the Marlins in 2014.
Alcántara, the 2022 National League Cy Young Award winner, missed the entire 2024 season due to Tommy John surgery. The 29-year-old hurler has a career 3.32 over seven seasons. He was an All-Star in 2019 and 2022.
This is the second straight year the Pirates begin the regular season in Miami. In 2024, Pittsburgh won all four games to begin the campaign.
The Pirates finished 7-0 against Miami in 2024.
The rest of the series’ games will start at 7:10 p.m. Friday, 4:10 p.m. Saturday and 1:40 p.m. Sunday.
Pittsburgh, which went 14-15-1 this spring, will send right-hander Mitch Keller (11-12, 4.25 ERA in 2024) against Miami right-hander Connor Gillispie, who will make his first major league start Friday. Gillispie, 27, appeared in three games for Cleveland in 2024 after logging 1131/3 innings in Triple-A.
Pirates left-hander Bailey Falter (8-9, 4.43) will oppose Miami right-hander Valente Bellozo (3-4, 3.67) Saturday.
Southpaw Andrew Heaney, 33, will make his Pirates debut Sunday against Miami right-hander Max Meyer (3-5, 5.68), who was the third overall pick in the 2020 draft. Heaney went 5-14 with a 4.28 ERA and 159 strikeouts over 160 innings with the Texas Rangers in 2024.
The Pirates finalized their 26-man roster Thursday.
Pittsburgh right-hander Carmen Mlodzinski is the fifth starter. The 31st overall pick in the 2020 draft posted a 2.91 ERA in 75 games over the past two seasons, only five starts as an opener in bullpen games.
Mlodzinski started 36 games in the minor leagues before moving to the bullpen.
The Pirates’ relievers include right-handers David Bednar (3-8, 5.77 ERA with 23 saves), Colin Holderman (3.16 ERA), Justin Lawrence and Dennis Santana (2.44 ERA); and left-handers Ryan Borucki, Caleb Ferguson, Tim Mayza and Joey Wentz.
Joey Bart (.265 average, 13 homers, 45 RBIs) and Endy Rodriguez, who missed the 2024 season due to Tommy John surgery, are Pittsburgh’s two catchers.
The infielders Adam Frazier, Nick Gonzales, Ke’Bryan Hayes, Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Jared Triolo, who won the 2024 National League Gold Glove Award as a utility player. Frazier played for the Pirates from 2016-21 and inked a one-year deal with the team this year.
Pittsburgh’s outfielders are Ji Hwan Bae, Oneil Cruz (.259, 21 homers, 76 RBIs), Andrew McCutchen (.232, 20 homers, 50 RBIs), Tommy Pham, Bryan Reynolds (.275, 24 homers, 88 RBIs) and Jack Suwinski.
Right-hander Jared Jones and first baseman Spencer Horwitz will begin the season on the injured list. Right-handers Dauri Moreta and Johan Oviedo are currently on the 60-day injured list.
The Pirates will then face the Tampa Bay Rays Monday through Wednesday and host the New York Yankees starting April 4.
Continue reading...
