When Brent Strom first got a call from the Pirates, he talked it over with his wife, Carrie, but ultimately discounted it. A longtime pitching coach with the Astros, he spent the last three years with the Diamondbacks, a bit of a homecoming since he lives in Tucson, Ariz. He helped play a role in the D-backs shocking the world and winning the 2023 National League pennant, but pitching problems kept them just outside of the playoffs in 2024, leading to his dismissal at the end of the regular season.
At 76 years old, retirement had its appeal. But when the Pirates called a second time, he reconsidered and decided to join the team as an assistant pitching coach.
“To be able to teach is in my blood,” Strom said over Zoom Thursday. “After this year, we will make another decision. But right now I just want to help this ballclub, and nothing would be more exciting than to get into the playoffs with this pitching staff in a short series, because you know anything can happen in a short series. I would not bet against this team if we could possibly get in.”
If the Pirates do get into the playoffs, it will likely be on the back of the young starting pitching they’ve developed, headlined by Paul Skenes, Mitch Keller and Jared Jones. Elevating them will be key for the team, and Strom has a good track record of getting the most out of his arms. He’s worked with three different pitchers who finished in the top three in Cy Young voting the last seven seasons (Justin Verlander from 2018-2019, including winning in 2019, Gerrit Cole in 2019 and Zac Gallen in 2023).
Skenes is the safest bet to add to that list, as he was a Cy Young finalist in his rookie season, finishing third. He and Strom got to work together briefly at this year’s All-Star Game, where Skenes made a quick good impression. Strom, the National League’s pitching coach, prepared scouting reports for the first six hitters for Skenes, the starter. Skenes told him he’d be through his inning before the American League got to a sixth hitter.
“Brent knows how to build pitchers,” Skenes said in a statement released by the Pirates. “He also knows how to win, and he’s going to do everything in his power to help make that happen here.”
This will be the first time Strom has served in any capacity besides pitching coach since 2014, when he helped the Astros start their turnaround from 100-loss club to powerhouse. His new role with the Pirates isn’t exactly defined yet, either. The team was on the market for a bullpen coach after parting ways with Justin Meccage, and Strom will be coaching from the dugout during games, so they still need an answer in the bullpen.
Right now, the focus is on him assisting pitching coach Oscar Marin, who has overseen the rotation grow into potentially one of the best in the sport.
“I just want to add to the mix and follow his lead, because obviously, pitching-wise over here in Pittsburgh, things have obviously been on the uptick,” Strom said. “Be it the scouting, be it the development at the Minor League level and at the big league level. It hasn't gone unnoticed by the baseball world."
Coaching has certainly evolved since Strom got started, from methodology to analytics to offseason training and more. Despite being one of the oldest coaches in the game, his message has resonated with younger players by letting them be the ones guiding the conversation. It’s a player-centric approach that has worked for Marin.
Now, the duo could potentially help this group of young pitchers unlock their potential.
“I wanted him to feel very comfortable knowing that I am not here in any other capacity other than to be a helper,” Strom said. “I’m perfectly fine with that at this stage in my career. It took me a long time to get to the Major Leagues. I was a Minor League guy for a long time. Most of my success took place in the fourth quarter of my career. I’m probably in overtime right now, so I’m perfectly blessed to just be a helper, a backup quarterback so to speak, to help in any way I can. Things are rolling pretty good right now with this pitching staff. I want to add on as much as I can.”