How the Pirates' offseason additions are already delivering a return on investment

As Nick Yorke and Billy Cook chatted this past Tuesday, the day after the Pirates amassed 16 hits and runs against the Nationals, Ryan O’Hearn couldn’t help but overhear from a few stalls away inside the Pirates clubhouse.

Yorke was bemoaning his 0-for-6 night when O’Hearn joked Yorke was probably saving his production for a game where it was needed more, reminding the rookie to stay positive.

It was a subtle-but-healthy exchange, one demonstrating how much has changed in the Pirates’ clubhouse and the sizable impact their offseason additions have already had on the group.

While the Pirates have obviously been hitting and pitching the ball well, their off-field work has been equally as impressive, cones, tickets, a welder’s hood and a few more random objects all playing parts. Come to think of it, the Pirates might want to consider a beaker or a Bunsen burner due to the success of their chemistry experiment.

“The guys who have come in have really stepped up and answered the call,” Paul Skenes said. “Brandon and Ryan are playing well. Marcell is a sleeping giant. But when you factor in the human element, that’s why we added them. They’ve been really smart investments.”

“It’s made it easier for guys like Bryan [Reynolds], Mitch [Keller], Dennis [Santana], having other guys in the clubhouse who are bought in on leadership. They’ll do what it takes.”

On the outside, the Pirates have become a fun story due to the cone and various celebrations. They’re real. It’s a solid group that bonded during Spring Training. The good vibes have carried into the regular season.

But the process, believe it or not, dates back further, the first step occurring last season when manager Don Kelly met privately with a few players, explained what he wanted to see and the front office making strategic additions this offseason to address areas that lacked.

It’s not to shovel dirt on anything that happened previously. However, to get different results, the Pirates felt they needed to review and change their process.

“On teams I’ve been on where you feel people are pulling in different ways, you’re not gonna be as good as you can possibly be,” Kelly said. “We’re trying to rely on [the new guys], their experience and them as teammates. They’re all tremendous teammates who are going to help and make sure that we’re all pulling in the same direction.”

We’re just 20 games into the 2026 season, but there have already been several examples of strong leadership and things operating how you’d want for a team in the Pirates’ situation. Let’s explore.

'He chirped me'

A few hours before O’Hearn went out of his way to make Yorke and Cook feel included, Lowe sat down for lunch with Konnor Griffin. They talked baseball, about the victory the night before, and then Griffin fired a changeup at Lowe.

“He chirped me,” Lowe said, laughing. “I was like, ‘Geez, come on, man.’ ”

Lowe was also thrilled. Griffin feeling comfortable enough to needle him was exactly what the Pirates are striving for, in Lowe’s words, “wanting everyone to feel like they’re brothers.”

In this situation — Lowe refused to share the chirp — Griffin was no longer the 19-year-old rookie. He was a member of the team, an equal.

“If you talk to Marcell [Ozuna] about his debut year, he’ll probably tell you the veterans were mean to him, the stuff they said and did probably not the nicest in the world,” Lowe said. “But the only thing that matters right now is to win.

“How do I get the best out of [Griffin]? How do I get the best out of Bubba [Chandler]? They need to be comfortable. They need to enjoy their time here. They need to feel like they belong. Ostracizing them just because they’re young doesn’t really seem like the best idea.”

And so, Lowe welcomes the good-natured Griffin giving him some grief.

If anything, Lowe took it as the process working.

“I want him to act like he’s been here for 10 years,” Lowe said. “Like he’s been there and done that, so that he can go out there and be the best player he can be.”

'Really intentional about it'

Whether it was his time as a player, a first-base coach or last year functioning as Pittsburgh’s interim manager, Kelly has always believed in having an open line of communication with his players.

After all, his message during that first meeting last August was that it’s their clubhouse. They should take charge and set the culture.

To improve communication, Kelly formed a seven-player leadership council that meets twice a month, relaying feedback from the player side and ensuring “there’s no underlying frustration.”

The group approach has resonated with players. If they have concern — those have been minimal so far, as you might expect — they can make them known through teammates.

At the same time, the council approach better fits some of the personalities on the Pirates roster.

Reynolds and Keller have become solid veterans, but they’ve never been life-of-the-party types. They’re better in supporting roles than doing anything out front.

By bringing in others around them, the sum becomes greater than the parts.

“For me specifically, it’s because we have other guys in the clubhouse who are willing to listen,” Skenes said, when asked how the leadership dynamic has changed for him and other younger players on the roster.

“I don’t say that like, if I were to say something last year, everyone would be like, ‘[Screw] you, man.’ Everybody’s bought in. That’s the biggest thing. That has to do with the additions we made and also the subtractions we made. I think they were really intentional about it, and I think they did a really good job.”

'Tackle them together'

Though it’s only been 20 games, the Pirates have already been pleased with how the new leadership structure has functioned, starting with what was a frustrating loss on Opening Day in New York.

Skenes only lasted two-thirds of an inning. A few Oneil Cruz misplays proved costly. The Pirates fought but suffered an 11-7 loss to the Mets.

What resonated most with Kelly, though, was how Skenes carried himself. He didn’t disappear physically or emotionally. He supported his teammates. He also didn’t place blame or make a big deal of anything. The reigning National League Cy Young Award winner simply went back to work.

“Paul set a huge example by not pointing fingers and blaming,” Kelly said. “We were able to pull out of that. We’re going to face other challenges as we go through the year, too. We need to tackle them together.”

Another example has been Ozuna, who was hitting .043 on April 3 and was booed vociferously at PNC Park. Instead of firing back at fans, Ozuna owned it and said he deserved the criticism, emphasizing his work and how he couldn’t wait to get back to being himself.

A perfect tone was struck. And through it all, Ozuna hasn’t changed one bit — still always around Oneil Cruz or the Pirates’ contingent of Latin American relievers. There’s even a neat relationship between Ozuna and Griffin.

“He’s been an unbelievable teammate,” Kelly said of Ozuna. He’s continued to pour into other guys, even when he’s not doing what he’s capable of right now. That’s impressive when you see that.”

'Perfect fits'

The last leadership mile marker to highlight involves the Pirates’ ability to bounce back after losses, how well they seem to process things that don’t go their way.

There have obviously been mistakes — poor games at the plate, sloppy play in the field, too many walks, a few Kelly decisions that’ve been questioned and more. It’s baseball. Those things happen.

But winning teams are able to weather those things. Knowing that, the Pirates operated with a specific purpose this offseason, targeting baseball ability but also players they knew could contribute positively to the collective.

It’s what the Pirates did during their most recent successful run, and it’s something A.J. Burnett sees developing with this reworked group as well.

Burnett was a guest instructor during Spring Training and returned to PNC Park on Friday to throw out the ceremonial first pitch on City Connect night.

With the Pirates’ eager to move past a loss the night before, Burnett felt a familiar vibe around the clubhouse. The fan favorite described it as an expectation to win … but also knowing how to recalibrate quickly when things don’t go according to plan.

The Pirates have their offseason additions to thank for that ability.

“The pieces they brought in are perfect fits for what they needed and what they didn’t have,” Burnett said. “That’s what happened with us. We were close in 2012. But the guys they brought in were the perfect pieces we needed. Seems to be working out that way.”

Jason Mackey: Jason.Mackey@pirates.com and @JMackey_PGH.