This past weekend the rumor surfaced that the Pittsburgh Pirates soon will promote top prospect Paul Skenes to the big club. It’s the news Pirates fans – indeed, all baseball fans – have been waiting for. It was first mentioned, rather casually, on the Pirates’ telecast on Friday. It has since been repeated in the local papers. (Or what passes for local “papers.” They’re mostly digital now.) For the benefit of those readers who have been living under a rock since last summer, Skenes was the Pirates’ No. 1 draft pick, and the first pick overall, in the 2023 MLB June Amateur Draft. The six-foot ..read more

When Bailey Falter left spring training with a spot in the Pittsburgh Pirates starting rotation, many baseball observers were surprised. Like, 100 percent of them. The left-hander finished the exhibition season with a 0-2 record and a 7.88 ERA. In 16 innings, he gave up 14 earned runs and six home runs and had a WHIP of 1.563. The only positive of his spring training performance was that no children or animals were harmed while he was on the mound. Much-Maligned Pirates Pitcher Is Exceeding Expectations However, after four starts in the regular season, Falter is 1-1 with a 4.05 ERA and an out ..read more

After a promising start, the Pittsburgh Pirates are now 11-8 thanks in part to a disturbing trend that has emerged. The Pirates began the season by winning their first five games and were the third team in baseball to 10 wins. However, this week’s three-game sweep at the hands of the New York Mets has the Bucs reeling and searching for answers. Although not the only culprit, an all-too-passive approach at the plate has reared its ugly head. Let’s note at the start that it’s too early to write off the Pirates in 2024. The schedule maker wasn’t kind to the Pittsburgh club, which played 14 of it ..read more

With his 300th career home run last Sunday, Pittsburgh Pirates star Andrew McCutchen joined a select fraternity. He became one of 13 players in Major League Baseball history to record at least 2,000 hits, 300 home runs, 400 doubles, 45 triples, and 200 stolen bases. Among others on the list are Henry Aaron and Willie Mays. Eight players on the list are in the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Andrew McCutchen is just the fourth player to reach the 300 home run mark in a @Pirates uniform. pic.twitter.com/tnXKYDEsTI — MLB (@MLB) April 14, 2024 McCutchen is easily the most beloved Pirate since W ..read more

Although the 2024 season is young, the Pirates should consider signing their big first baseman Rowdy Tellez to an extension. When he was signed to a one-year deal last December, Pirates fans (as well as this writer) greeted the news with a collective yawn. His track record suggested that Tellez was a one-dimensional player who would hit home runs – maybe – but contribute little else. His home run production dropped from 35 to 13 from 2022 to 2023. Yet, his performance thus far in 2024 has belied what his statistics show. Come June or July, if he provides power to the lineup as expected, there ..read more

After blowing three saves in four opportunities, the Pittsburgh Pirates should consider another role for closer David Bednar for now. Bednar, an All-Star in 2022 and 2023, is struggling early in the 2024 season. After blowing the save against the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday, the popular local product from Mars (the Pittsburgh suburb, not the planet) was booed off the field by the home crowd for perhaps the first time. All-Star Closer Continues To Struggle, Needs Another Role Rough Start to the Season for Bednar Bednar’s three blown saves so far in 2024 equal his total for all of 2023. He was bo ..read more

The Pittsburgh Pirates are off to a hot start with a record of 8-2 at the close of Sunday’s action. Last season, they got off to a 20-8 start before finishing the year at 76-86. Pirates fans have seen this movie before. The more skeptical among them are waiting for the rug to be pulled out from under them once again before getting too excited. However, the 2024 squad is better and deeper than last year’s. Although nobody possesses a crystal ball, there are myriads of reasons why the winning ways can continue. How About That Starting Pitching? Pitching has had much to do with the Pirates getti ..read more

Joey Bart has not lived up to the hype after the San Francisco Giants selected him with the second overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft. While it’s always tough to give up on big prospects, the Giants did just that when they designated Bart for assignment on March 31. Just a few days later, his tenure in San Francisco is officially over, as the Pittsburgh Pirates acquired Bart on Tuesday night in exchange for minor league pitcher Austin Strickland. We have acquired C Joey Bart from the Giants in exchange for minor league RHP Austin Strickland. pic.twitter.com/fk1Bqn2SwR — Pittsburgh Pirates ..read more

Yes, it’s early, but there is much one can take away from the Pittsburgh Pirates’ 5-0 record to start 2024. The Pirates last started a season with a 5-0 record in 1983. That team stayed in the National League East Division race well into September, finishing second behind the eventual pennant-winning Philadelphia Phillies. This current 5-0 start is even more impressive because all the games have been played on the road. The national media has the Bucs pegged to win around 76 games. In Pittsburgh, those closer to the scene are predicting about 85 wins. To make that a reality, a few trends will ..read more

With apologies to George Will, we present 10 Pittsburgh Pirates trivia questions to stump the most ardent fan. Questions will be presented first, followed by a discussion of the answers. Who was the last player to pinch-hit for Roberto Clemente? On the day Clemente tallied the 3,000th hit of his career, who started at second base for the Pirates? Who was the Pirates’ Opening Day third baseman in 1952? Who was the Pirates’ Opening Day pitcher in 2002? In 1973, a Pirates rookie call-up walked into the clubhouse for the first time. Shortstop Dal Maxvill declared, “I don’t know what he does or w ..read more