This story was excerpted from Alex Stumpf’s Pirates Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
From the start of the offseason to the Winter Meetings in Orlando, Fla., it was clear how much the Pirates desired to improve their lineup. There’s still a month and change to go until pitchers and catchers report to Bradenton, Fla., and some areas in which they can still improve, but so far they’ve added two big bats.
Second baseman Brandon Lowe came over from the Rays in a three-team trade on Dec. 19, and four days later the Pirates agreed with free agent first baseman/outfielder Ryan O'Hearn on a two-year, $29 million contract (which has yet to be formally announced). Both were All-Stars in 2025, with O’Hearn posting an .803 OPS and Lowe hitting 31 home runs.
The appeal of both is obvious, but they bolster this offense in more ways than just being good hitters. They also address some of the Pirates' biggest weaknesses offensively.
Here are three examples how:
They get more left-handed
PNC Park’s playing dimensions have two defining traits: the left-center notch and the Clemente Wall in right field. Generally speaking, it’s better to be a lefty hitter in Pittsburgh than a righty.
The Pirates wanted to get more left-handed this winter, and justifiably so. Last year, Bucs left-handed hitters accounted for just 2,099 plate appearances, the second-fewest for any National League club (the Rockies had 1,563). Pittsburgh had nearly twice as many plate appearances by right-handers (3,909). Adding a couple of lefties would not only bring more balance to the lineup, but also play into PNC Park’s dimensions better.
“[Lowe] gives us a left-hand complement to what had been a pretty right-hand-hitting infield group,” general manager Ben Cherington said about the December trade between the Pirates, Astros and Rays.
It also helps that O’Hearn hit left-handers well last year, too, posting a .278 batting average and .474 slugging percentage over 109 plate appearances. Lowe struggled against left-handers last year (.194 batting average, .317 slugging percentage in 147 plate appearances), but he had generally given southpaws a tough at-bat in the years prior (.234 batting average, .431 slugging, .321 expected wOBA from 2022-24).
If the lineup can get more left-handed without a need for platoons, that’s an even bigger win.
They have more fastball hitters
Last year, Pirates hitters slugged .382 against fastballs, the worst team mark in baseball. Their .320 wOBA against fastballs was the worst in the National League. In a year where the league slashed .262/.344/.431 against fastballs, the Pirates posted a .253/.340/.382 line.
The new guys have solid track records against heaters. O’Hearn batted .303 with a .466 slugging percentage against fastballs last season, buoyed by a .371 batting average against sinkers and a .507 slugging percentage against four-seamers. Lowe had a run value of +13 against four-seam fastballs last season. The only other middle infielders who were as valuable against four-seamers were Willy Adames and Francisco Lindor.
Last year, O’Hearn had a .384 expected wOBA against fastballs and Lowe was at .391. That takes into account how often they made contact and the type of contact that they were making, offering evidence that their results were more a product of good at-bats than luck. Bryan Reynolds was the only Pirate last year to top them (.402 xwOBA, minimum 200 plate appearances against fastballs). Now they have two other bats who can back him up.
They get hits with runners on base
The Pirates aren’t going to lead the league in homers. They’re not trying to build a team that does that, per se. They’d rather have a solid one through nine and drive home runners in scoring position.
“When we were really good, I thought we handled at-bats really well. We continued to pass the baton,” manager Don Kelly said during the Winter Meetings. “I know it was something that when we had those stretches of being good offensively, it was we passed the baton, we got guys on base. Then that two-out, that big hit is the thing that eluded us a lot of times. ... Easier said than done, but continuing to push towards [improving] that for next year.”
The problem is they weren’t good in those spots last year. Their .232 batting average and .350 slugging percentage with runners in scoring position were both the worst in baseball.
Lowe and O’Hearn excelled in those spots last year. O’Hearn slashed .292/.411/.508 with runners in scoring position, and Lowe was .286/.363/.500. Adding those types of hitters to the middle of the order should give the Bucs better options to cash in with runners on second and third.
The Pirates need to create more offense in 2026. If this is the style of ball they want to play, these two fit that mold.