(Photo by Jess Rapfogel/Getty Images)   In another dominant display, the Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the Washington Nationals on Monday. The final score, 8-4, reflects how good Pittsburgh’s offense has been in the first few games of the new season. They now have a flawless 5-0 record, tied for the best in baseball. They lead the NL Central division ahead of the 3-0 Milwaukee Brewers, the 3-1 Cincinnati Reds, the 2-2 Chicago Cubs, and the 2-3 St. Louis Cardinals. It’s been a while since Pittsburgh has been this good. MLB insider Bob Nightengale helped us get some historically relevant cont ..read more

Mandatory Credit: Aubrey Washington /Allsport   The Pittsburgh Pirates have a lot of interesting young pitchers. The biggest name of that group is, of course, Paul Skenes. Skenes was last year’s No. 1 overall pick in the Draft, and even though he didn’t pitch much in the minors, everybody knows he is extremely polished. The Pirates invited him to spring training this year, and he showed the world why he was taken before anyone else. Flashing a 102 mph fastball and impressive breaking stuff, he turned heads in Pirates camp and even tossed three solid innings in the spring, conceding just a ..read more

(Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)   Spring training stats have almost zero predictive value. They tell us very little about how a player will fare in the regular season because the level of competition and effort shown by most players is far from optimal. However, they do tell us if a player in in shape, if he worked on some changes in the offseason, and other potentially useful clues. In the specific case of Pittsburgh Pirates infielder Oneil Cruz, they tell us that he is absolutely locked in and ready for a breakout season. Will it happen? We don’t know, but he is hitting more line ..read more

(Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images)   Every year, there seems to be a prospect in MLB that becomes trendy and everybody talks about him. It’s definitely Jackson Holliday in 2024, and it was Elly De La Cruz for most of 2023. It seems like a decade ago that we were all talking about the toolsy Oneil Cruz, but since he missed much of last season with an injury, people apparently forgot about him. The Pittsburgh Pirates infielder, however, is emphatically telling fans that he is healthy and hungrier than ever. If spring training performance is any indication (it’s probably not), Cruz is prime ..read more

(Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)   The Pittsburgh Pirates have not been a contender for many years. They have undergone a long rebuild but may be finally starting to see some light at the end of the tunnel. After years of misery, the Pirates were able to load up on top draft picks and develop some young talent. But, one player they acquired via trade in 2017 is ready to pay dividends. That is shortstop Oneil Cruz. The Pirates acquired him from the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2017. It was hard to know how Cruz would progress through the minors as we have rarely seen a great baseball play ..read more

(Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)   The Pittsburgh Pirates are a team that no one is talking about this offseason. But, that has been the case for a while. The Pirates have not been competitive in some time and most people do not expect that to change in 2024. Even though the Pirates have made strides to get better, they are still not ready to compete for a playoff berth. But, that does not mean they will not be interesting to watch. One player that will make the Pirates fun to follow is Andrew McCutchen. He is a legendary Pirate and should one day have a statue outside their stadium ..read more

(Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)   When the Pittsburgh Pirates drafted right-hander Paul Skenes with the No. 1 overall pick of the 2023 MLB Draft, they took one of the most MLB-ready hurlers available, not to mention one of the most talented. However, a series of circumstances limited Skenes to just 6.2 professional innings last year: he lost important development time. This year, he was invited to the Pirates’ spring training camp and has spent time with those expected to be on the MLB roster, has learned from them, and has gotten a glimpse of what being in an MLB clubhouse feels lik ..read more

(Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)   Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Paul Skenes represents the future of the organization. That much is well-known in all circles since the team took him with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft. However, he has been so good in spring training that you could make a case he can also provide solutions for the Pirates’ rotation right now. The tall right-hander continues to amaze in early spring action, and tossed two more solid innings on Monday. He conceded just one run in the two innings, with three punchouts. “Paul Skenes strikes out three in tw ..read more

(Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)   The Pittsburgh Pirates took a slight risk in last year’s MLB Draft. For months, outfielder Dylan Crews was considered the top prospect entering the draft, but since their contention window appears to be opening soon and they need pitching, they took LSU right-hander Paul Skenes with the No.1 pick. Different circumstances forced the Pirates to give only 6.2 professional innings to Skenes last year. Now, however, he is locked and loaded, ready to build some stamina and, in all likelihood, start in the high minors. The team brought him to spring trainin ..read more

(Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)   The Pittsburgh Pirates had plenty of patience in the development phase of Mitch Keller. They drafted him in 2014 and he made his MLB debut in 2019, five years later. Then, he took some time to settle down as a major leaguer, posting a horrible 7.13 ERA in 48 innings in his debut year. He struggled, showed some flashes, struggled again, and finally broke through in 2022 with a 3.91 ERA in 159 innings as a 26-year-old hurler. His solid 2023 (4.21 ERA, but with a 3.81 FIP and 210 strikeouts) finally convinced the Pirates it was time for an extension. T ..read more