BRADENTON, Fla. -- While the Pirates’ ongoing Forge High Performance Camp has been geared toward 30 or so Minor League players, equipping them with various development tools, there have been a few MLB sightings around Pirate City. Endy Rodríguez has been here rehabbing the torn labrum in his left hip.

BRADENTON, Fla. -- Whenever Derek Curiel has stepped on a baseball field, whether it was Orange Lutheran High School in Southern California or collegiately at LSU, he’s done so with a familiar mindset. The Pirates’ 2026 first-round pick grew up loving the gritty approach employed by Pete Rose — the

There was plenty of dominance this season. Excitement, too. But when it came to suspense, Seth Hernandez and Murf Gray didn't offer much, as Young Bucs week concluded Thursday with the Pirates announcing Hernandez as their Bob Friend Pitcher of the Year and Gray as the Honus Wagner Player of

There are tangible things to explain Derek Diamond's improved performance in 2026. A new breaking ball, for instance. And extra life on his heater. But the real difference — and why Diamond was recognized as Pittsburgh’s Kent Tekulve Reliever of the Year Wednesday — rests between the ears. “I matured,”

They’re not yet household names. But as the Pirates kicked off their Minor League awards Tuesday, finding the appropriate people to recognize wasn’t hard considering the progress made at their academy in the Dominican Republic. Cecilio Beltre, a 25-year Pirates coaching veteran, was a slam dunk for Staff Member of

Easton Carmichael hit 20 homers and produced an .825 OPS across two levels in 2026. His 127 hits ranked fourth among qualified Minor League catchers. His 92 RBIs were third among that group and throughout the Pirates’ system. It was a solid season for the 2025 third-round pick out of

When the Pirates acquired Brandon Lowe last December, they knew they were getting left-handed power that would play at PNC Park, plus veteran leadership that had been lacking among position players. Similar to Jake Mangum and Mason Montgomery and how they’ve established themselves in Pittsburgh, Lowe’s defensive turnaround made the

When Brady Peck walked toward Mervis Hall on Pitt’s campus Tuesday afternoon, he was taken aback by the hundreds of people gathered near the Forbes Field wall listening to a baseball game. A junior from Glen Rock, N.J., Peck asked around and quickly learned about the Pittsburgh tradition, where Pirates

A few swings into Spring Training, Wyatt Sanford sensed something was different. When the Pirates drafted Sanford in the second round in 2024, they liked his speed and defense, viewing his left-handed swing as more contact over power ... but also believing that could change over time. Sanford, 20, did

The last Pirates playoff teams enjoyed production from catchers and elite bullpens. Despite falling short of its ultimate goal, the 2026 group took some important steps toward those goals. While the bullpen certainly struggled early — only three teams had more blown saves (16) before the All-Star break — the

Think about how different things felt for the Pirates this time a year ago. They ranked last in runs scored, homers and OPS throughout Major League Baseball — by a wide margin. Spencer Horwitz was their leader among position players in FanGraphs’ wins above replacement at just 1.7 fWAR. He

On the final day of the 2026 season, Pirates pitching coach Bill Murphy sat in the visitors' dugout at Comerica Park alone, soaking in the scene and appreciating the grind one final time before everyone dispersed for the offseason. There was a lot to contemplate. Hired last offseason to take

The emergence of eight young, controllable players in 2026 helped the Pirates answer plenty of questions. Konnor Griffin, Esmerlyn Valdez, Rafael Flores Jr. and Endy Rodriguez on the position-player side. Braxton Ashcraft, Mason Montgomery, Jared Jones and Bubba Chandler among pitchers. That’s more than 15 wins above replacement (per FanGraphs)

One of the many beautiful aspects of baseball involves the ability to quantify darn near everything, the numbers from the back of a card to more advanced ones occupying space on spreadsheets and computer screens around the country. The Pirates are no exception. They spent the past 162 games producing

DETROIT — It’s not baseball in October. But the Pirates did achieve one of their secondary goals by securing their first winning season in eight years with a 4-2 victory over the Tigers on Sunday at Comerica Park. Jared Jones delivered four strong innings, Konnor Griffin homered, and Mason Montgomery

DETROIT — As much respect as the Pirates have for Justin Verlander, treating Saturday with considerable reverence, they're also competitors. Plus, they had their own guy in Kirby Yates toeing a Major League rubber for the final time. The script was set. Drama was palpable, and emotions ran high, especially

DETROIT — Pirates general manager Ben Cherington held his final media scrum of the 2026 season Saturday at Comerica Park. The 23-minute session touched on a variety of topics, from what went right and wrong over the past 160 games, to the job status of Cherington and manager Don Kelly,

DETROIT — Myriad ingredients have contributed to the Pirates' strong September. Their bullpen has been among baseball's best. The offense has benefitted from having Konnor Griffin, Oneil Cruz and Ryan O'Hearn together again. Jared Jones, Paul Skenes and Bubba Chandler have mostly handled their business on start days. The Pirates

DETROIT — Doc Emrick is most famous for his work as a Hall of Fame hockey broadcaster, but he’s always been a baseball fan at heart, especially when it comes to his beloved Pirates. In fact, Emrick can pinpoint the exact day his Pirates fandom was solidified, which would surprise

DETROIT — As his teammates packed boxes and prepped for the home finale Thursday against the St. Louis Cardinals, Braxton Ashcraft leaned back in his chair and scanned Justin Verlander’s Baseball Reference page. The numbers Ashcraft read aloud: 21 seasons, 556 starts, 3,571 1/3 innings, 3,554 strikeouts and 266 wins.

Paul Skenes ended on a high note. So did the Pirates, who might’ve lost this kind of game earlier in the season. Regardless, the Pirates guaranteed they’d finish at least .500 and clinched third place in the NL Central with a 2-1 victory over the Cardinals in front of 15,822

The Pirates have made this September interesting by playing a better brand of baseball, passing the baton on offense, enjoying strong pitching performances and generating some level of optimism for 2027. Wednesday was an exception. Relying on another bullpen game, the Pirates couldn’t get anything going against a left-handed starter

Ryan O’Hearn doesn’t live in a hypothetical world. But he's definitely one of the Pirates' leaders and has been part of the ongoing discussions centered around remaining goals in 2026. Things like building momentum toward next season, proving there’s a strong foundation when everyone is healthy and, yes, finishing over

Ben Cherington believes the Pirates made important progress in 2026. But he also knows more will be required for a postseason return. Speaking Sunday on the Pirates Insider Show on 93.7 The Fan, Cherington discussed feeling encouraged by some of what he's seen this season ... but also Pittsburgh missing

When Brandon Lowe got his first look at the Pirates’ celebratory welder’s hood during Spring Training, one of his initial thoughts was that it looked well used, like it “had been through the test of it.” Along with his teammates, Lowe has ensured the hood — which belonged to a