BRADENTON, Fla. -- On the heels of their seventh consecutive losing season, the Pirates emerged as one of the busiest teams in the offseason, hoping to sculpt a playoff contender around NL Cy Young winner Paul Skenes. Pittsburgh brought in several veteran bats to strengthen a league-worst offense and added a few impact arms to its bullpen.
As things begin to take shape, here’s our second crack at predicting the Pirates’ 2026 Opening Day roster:
Catcher (2): Joey Bart, Henry Davis
Bart (76 starts) and Davis (74) split time last season. Davis is the better defender who has the advantage of being homegrown. Neither catcher has been able to edge out the other with offense (Davis hit .167 in 2025 and is hitless in seven spring games; Bart hit .249 and has one Grapefruit League hit). Unless one has a real breakout down the stretch, expect the tandem of former first-round Draft picks to share catching duties again.
First baseman (1): Spencer Horwitz
Horwitz flourished down the stretch in 2025, saving what had been a lost season following a nagging right wrist injury that required surgery that February. He posted a .916 OPS after the All-Star break and should be the everyday first baseman in ’26.
Second baseman (2): Brandon Lowe, Nick Yorke
Lowe, the marquee offseason move, also spent time at first base and DH with the Rays, but the addition of Marcell Ozuna all but locks Lowe into second base. Yorke is a favorite for a utility role who’s bolstering his cause with a particularly strong spring (.304 with four RBIs and two steals entering Tuesday).
Shortstop (1): Nick Gonzales
This depends on what the Pirates decide to do with 19-year-old Konnor Griffin, ranked by MLB Pipeline as the top prospect in baseball. Gonzales is a strong defender who has worked hard to improve his offense (.538 spring average and 1.186 OPS through five games), so he gets the nod. Griffin also has three homers and a double among his five spring hits, so don’t count him out, even though he’s played just 21 games above High-A.
Third baseman (1): Jared Triolo
The Pirates showed interest in several third basemen throughout the offseason but did not land one. For now, that means Triolo -- an elite defender who won an NL Gold Glove in 2024 -- owns 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 he’s likely to see the bulk of his time in a corner-outfield spot. Mangum -- acquired in the Lowe trade -- excels with a combination of contact and speed. Garcia -- part of the return for Johan Oviedo -- is a plus defender with pop who’s impressed his new team with work ethic and improved plate discipline.
DH (1): Marcell Ozuna
Adding Ozuna limits some of Pittsburgh's positional flexibility (he last played the outfield in 2023), but his bat is another key to the team's overhaul. He hit 21 home runs in a down ’25 and is just two years removed from a fourth-place finish in NL MVP voting.
Starting pitchers (5-6): Paul Skenes, Mitch Keller, Braxton Ashcraft, Bubba Chandler, José Urquidy, Carmen Mlodzinski
There's plenty of upside in this group, beginning with Skenes and Keller. Chandler -- MLB Pipeline's No. 11 prospect -- should make the rotation after getting a taste of the Majors last season. The same goes for Ashcraft, finally fully healthy following an eye-opening 2025. The Bucs hope the newcomer Urquidy will return to form after throwing just 2 1/3 Major League innings last season on the other side of Tommy John surgery. Mlodzinski proved himself a very capable reliever last season, but the development of a devastating splitter has put him in the running here. No. 96 prospect Hunter Barco and veteran Mike Clevinger, who is in camp as a non-roster invitee, are additional options.
Relief pitchers (7-8): Dennis Santana, Gregory Soto, Isaac Mattson, Justin Lawrence, Kyle Nicolas, Yohan Ramírez, Mason Montgomery
The first five names seem like safe bets, headlined by Soto, who signed a one-year deal on Dec. 16. Santana served as the team's closer after the David Bednar trade. Beyond that, Ramírez is out of options, and Montgomery -- the third piece in the Lowe trade -- could secure a spot as the unit's second lefty and has pitched to a 2.25 ERA in four spring appearances. Mlodzinski will slot into the ’pen should he not secure a starting role.