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

With his team beginning a series with the Kansas City Royals on Friday, manager Don Kelly was aware of the Pirates’ precarious playoff position. Yet there was no need to emphasize the goals for that day. Those have been established. “Going out there every night, it’s still the same mindset

As Khristian Curtis stood on the Wrigley Field mound last Friday, there was little he could do to stop the game from spinning. The rookie right-hander was sped up in his delivery and thought process, the Cubs tagging Curtis for six earned runs over three innings as a result. Fast-forward

When Rafael Flores Jr. made his MLB debut exactly a year ago Thursday, things were certainly different. It was a cup of coffee, first off. Just 17 plate appearances. But Flores was also a bit of a mystery, acquired in the David Bednar trade but also a Yankees farmhand who

The setting could not have been any better. As Paul Skenes and Konnor Griffin chatted with members of the Clemente family on Tuesday morning, they stood next to the statue of the Great One, steps from the Roberto Clemente Bridge. It’s getting harder and harder to top Clemente Day, an

As Denny Heindl and Stephen Wong walked around Legacy Hall on Monday night, they couldn’t help but get lost in the “visual feast” that exists for Pirates fans — incredible baseball artifacts everywhere. But more so than Willie Stargell’s bat, Roberto Clemente’s jacket or Chuck Tanner’s hand-written notes, Heindl and

CHICAGO — There are plenty of words to describe Brandon Lowe. Professional, productive and calm are a few of the first ones that come to mind. But Bubba Chandler went a different direction after Sunday’s 4-3 victory over the Cubs at Wrigley Field, essentially saying the Pirates second baseman is

CHICAGO — As Ryan O’Hearn pushed himself slowly on a pair of crutches to the visitors’ clubhouse at Great American Ball Park back on Aug. 1, hours after suffering a gruesome quad injury, his face lit up when discussing the prospect of what was then an eight-week return. If O’Hearn

CHICAGO — Billy Cook has seen cone earrings, peddled an orange ice cream cone and even spotted a balloon animal depicting the Pirates’ unique rallying cry this season at a recent fan event. On Thursday at Rate Field, Cook and his teammates enjoyed more evidence of the cone's reach when