This top reliever’s stellar season is fueled by … orange juice?

PITTSBURGH -- Peruse a Major League clubhouse and you’ll see baseball players enjoying their usual beverages. Whether coffee, protein shakes or good ol'-fashioned H2O, each athlete has their preference to refresh before game time.

But orange juice? Leave that to Luke Weaver.

“I think it's delicious,” Weaver told MLB.com minutes before grabbing a fresh plastic cup of OJ. “I think it's helpful. I think if you want to get nutritionally deep into it, it has a lot of benefits that keeps the mind and the body energized in different ways. And it just tastes freaking good.”

Weaver was acquired by the Pirates from the Mets at the Trade Deadline for No. 10 prospect Sammy Stafura to be a top-leverage reliever and shore up their faulty bullpen. Weaver has done just that so far, holding a 2.30 ERA and 0.89 WHIP this year despite slipping up with three earned runs on Aug. 15.

The 32-year-old Weaver brings World Series experience, positivity and a vibrant personality to Pittsburgh. And, of course, a love for his favorite drink.

“I’m probably drinking it four or five times a day. It's just pick-me-ups,” Weaver said. “I drink coffee, but it’s just a little bit of a healthier, easier way to establish and keep the energy mainstream. Easy carbs … I mean, we could sit for an hour and talk about it.”

It started as a lighthearted joke. As Weaver was evolving into the Yankees’ bona fide closer in 2024, he was asked by the YES Network what had led to a tick-up in velocity. Avoiding the clichés of spinach or Wheaties, he credited orange juice.

When reflecting on the initial comments two years later, Weaver said he tries not to be so “robotic” in interviews and wants to show off his personality to connect with fans. Though Weaver was serious about this quip.

Per “Healthline,” orange juice is high in key nutrients like vitamin C, folate and potassium. Additionally, studies have shown that long-term orange juice consumption lowered levels of both total and “bad” LDL cholesterol. Weaver prefers organic juice, though he doesn’t mind pulp or no-pulp.

“I've just kind of kept that lighthearted joke,” Weaver said. “But I do drink a lot of orange juice.”

When Weaver takes the mound, he’s as energized as ever. He often sprints from the bullpen to the edge of the infield for his check-in with the umpire. Weaver’s journey to Pittsburgh started a decade ago in St. Louis, where he came up as a starter and stayed in rotations amid stops in Arizona and Cincinnati while serving a relief role in Kansas City and Seattle. Then came an opportunity out of the bullpen in 2024 in the Bronx.

Weaver pitched on the biggest stage in the sport, helping the Yankees to an AL pennant in 2024 with a 2.89 ERA in 84 innings. He tallied four saves and blossomed further in the postseason, recording four saves with a 1.76 ERA.

Fellow bullpen arm Mason Montgomery said Weaver and veteran Kirby Yates have an “aura” to them due to their experience in the biggest moments. Though Weaver explained that even with the experience, the bright lights never get easier. He said the game slows down, but obstacles always spring up.

Weaver’s recent challenges have changed from the past. With Pittsburgh reshaping its bullpen so drastically at the Trade Deadline and struggling to get much going offensively until as of late, Weaver hasn’t taken on a save opportunity yet.

Weaver was 50/50 on whether he would be traded or not. He expressed his desire to stay in New York but was one of the multiple Mets players told to stay back in New York on Aug. 3 rather than travel with the team to Cleveland. Weaver was sent to the Pirates midday ahead of the Deadline and pitched only once in his first 10 days with the club.

“It’s not easy. It’s not something you prepare for. It’s not something that anybody’s got a recipe for. I’m learning as I go. This whole month has been a bit of a blur,” Weaver said.

Weaver is expected to largely pitch the eighth or ninth innings, mixing in with the left-handed Montgomery. As his role evolves, expect him to keep the same juice.

Preferably orange.