On the heels of their seventh straight losing season, the Pirates emerged as one of the busiest teams in the offseason, hoping to fortify their roster and sculpt a playoff contender around Paul Skenes. Pittsburgh brought in several veteran bats to strengthen a league-worst offense, while also adding a few potential impact arms to its bullpen.
Here’s our first projection of the Pirates’ 2026 Opening Day roster, which will be updated throughout Spring Training.
Catcher (2): Joey Bart, Henry Davis
Bart (76 starts) and Davis (74 starts) split time behind the dish last season. The tandem of former first-round draft picks should share catching duties once again in 2026.
First baseman (1): Spencer Horwitz
Horwitz flourished down the stretch in 2025, saving what had been a lost season following a nagging wrist injury. He posted a .916 OPS after the All-Star break and should be the everyday first baseman in 2026.
Second baseman (2): Brandon Lowe, Nick Yorke
Lowe, the marquee offseason move, also spent time at first base and as DH with the Rays. But the addition of Marcell Ozuna all but locks Lowe into second base. Yorke can play around the diamond, too, though he's mostly played second base in the Majors.
Shortstop (1): Nick Gonzales
This all depends on what the Pirates decide to do with 19-year-old Konnor Griffin, ranked by MLB Pipeline as the top prospect in baseball. It seems like we'll see Griffin in the Majors at some point in 2026, though it's unclear if that will be on Opening Day. At the onset of Spring Training, we'll give the nod to Gonzales, a strong defender who can serve as a short-term solution.
Third baseman (1): Jared Triolo
The Pirates have shown interest in a number of third basemen throughout the offseason, but they've yet to land one. For now, that leaves Triolo -- an elite defender -- with the inside track for the job.
Outfielders (5): Bryan Reynolds, Oneil Cruz, Ryan O'Hearn, Jake Mangum, Jhostynxon Garcia
There are plenty of new faces here, alongside the traditional stalwarts in Reynolds and Cruz, with the latter entering his second season as the team's full-time center fielder. O'Hearn signed the largest contract for a free-agent hitter in franchise history, and while he brings some defensive versatility, he is likely to see the bulk of his playing time in the corner outfield spots. Mangum -- acquired by the Rays in the Brandon Lowe trade -- excels with a combination of contact and speed, while Garcia -- part of the return package for Johan Oviedo -- is a plus defender with pop. Jack Suwinski should also be in the mix for a roster spot, and it's worth noting that he is out of Minor League options.
DH (1): Marcell Ozuna
Adding Ozuna limits some of Pittsburgh's positional flexibility, since the 35-year-old last played the outfield in 2023. But Ozuna's bat is another key piece in the team's overhaul. He hit 21 home runs last season in a down year, and is just two years removed from a fourth-place finish in NL MVP voting.
Starting Pitchers (5): Paul Skenes, Mitch Keller, Braxton Ashcraft, Bubba Chandler, José Urquidy
There's plenty of upside in this group, beginning with Skenes, who sets out to defend his NL Cy Young Award. Chandler -- MLB Pipeline's No. 14 prospect -- should make the Opening Day roster after getting a taste of the Majors last season. The same goes for Ashcraft, as the oft-injured righty is fully healthy following an eye-opening 2025 campaign. The fifth spot should be a true competition, since Jared Jones is still working his way back from internal brace surgery on his pitching elbow, which caused him to miss all of last season. We'll give the nod to Urquidy, who threw just 2 1/3 Major League innings last season on the other side of Tommy John surgery. Other candidates include prospect Hunter Barco and veteran Mike Clevinger, who will be in camp as a non-roster invitee.
Relief Pitchers (8): Dennis Santana, Gregory Soto, Isaac Mattson, Justin Lawrence, Carmen Mlodzinski, Mason Montgomery, Yohan Ramirez, Kyle Nicolas
The first five names seem like safe bets, headlined by Soto, who signed a one-year, $7.75 million contract in December. Santana served as the team's closer last season after the team traded David Bednar, while Mlodzinski pitched to a 1.93 ERA in a swing role after the All-Star break. Beyond that, Ramirez is out of options, while Montgomery -- the third piece in the Lowe trade -- could secure a spot as the unit's second lefty. Other options include southpaw Evan Sisk and Australian-born Brandan Bidois, the organization's Kent Tekulve Reliever of the Year in 2025.