BRADENTON, Fla. -- The Pittsburgh Pirates’ theme when they won the 1979 World Series was ‘We are Family.’ It looks like 2022 first-round pick Termarr Johnson would fit right in. The youngest of four brothers, Johnson brings his older brother to the plate with him every at-bat played at home

The journey from high school draftee to big leaguer can often be a long and lonely one. Even with the proliferation of prospect rankings, a player taken early in the first round can largely disappear from public view, at least in terms of watching him in action. For at least

PITTSBURGH -- General manager Ben Cherington knew that Henry Davis wasn’t going to stay long at Double-A Altoona, and that the first overall pick from the 2021 MLB Draft would eventually suit up for Triple-A Indianapolis sometime this season. The question was always when, not if. “At some point, we

PITTSBURGH -- When Henry Davis discussed the idea of being promoted with MLB.com in mid-May, his sights weren’t set on Triple-A Indianapolis. They were set on Pittsburgh. Before Davis gets to wear the black and gold, however, he’ll have to make one more pit stop. The Pirates are promoting Davis,

PITTSBURGH -- When Chris Owings joined the Pirates in early May, he recalled Luis L. Ortiz's second start of the season with Triple-A Indianapolis, a dominant outing where he recorded seven strikeouts across 4 2/3 innings. When Ortiz’s night was done, opposing players who reached second base asked Owings why,

This story was excerpted from Justice delos Santos’ Pirates Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox. There’s no shortage of fans who want Henry Davis to be promoted to Triple-A Indianapolis. That’s what happens when you post the numbers

BALTIMORE -- When Henry Davis was assigned to Double-A Altoona to begin the season instead of Triple-A Indianapolis, the rationale was simple: he and Endy Rodriguez needed an opportunity to catch as much as possible day, to go through the grind that comes with being an everyday catcher. So far,

PITTSBURGH -- Luis L. Ortiz’s season debut may have been defined by several unfortunate breaks, but in his first start at PNC Park this season, the right-hander flashed the raw talent that could make him a rotation mainstay. Ortiz allowed five runs (two earned) across five innings as the Pirates

PITTSBURGH -- As Spring Training came to a close, Carmen Mlodzinski learned his third season as a pro would look quite different compared to his first two. Mlodzinski, the Pirates’ No. 24 prospect per MLB Pipeline, transitioned from the rotation to the bullpen this year, marking the first time he’s

This story was excerpted from Justice delos Santos’ Pirates Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

Coming into Spring Training, the Pirates’ starting pitching depth was at its best point in years. The Bucs featured nine pitchers who could realistically contribute at the Major League level in 2023. They’d already lost one for the season, and now, they’ve lost another. The Pirates announced earlier this week

While there’s plenty of excitement surrounding the Pirates’ hot start, there’s even more to look forward to down on the farm. Just ask Henry Davis, who earned his first career multihomer game and accounted for three RBIs in Double-A Altoona’s 5-4 victory. MLB’s No. 51 prospect went yard against both

PITTSBURGH -- Catcher Endy Rodríguez, the Pirates’ No. 2 prospect per MLB Pipeline, has been placed on the seven-day injured list due to a right forearm injury, per Pittsburgh manager Derek Shelton. Rodríguez, the organization’s reigning Minor League Player of the Year, was removed in the eighth inning of Triple-A

This story was excerpted from Justice delos Santos’ Pirates Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

PITTSBURGH -- In many ways, it has been a very encouraging beginning to the 2023 season for the Pittsburgh Pirates, with an unexpected hot start fueled by positive contributions from the team’s young players. However, when you turn the corner from the PNC Park clubhouse to the training room, that’s

There’s a greater-than-zero chance that come next season, the Pirates could have a farm system that ranks outside MLB Pipeline’s Top 10 for the first time in half a decade. That would be a good thing. Pittsburgh’s farm system features no shortage of players on the cusp of graduating prospectdom.

The Minor League Ballpark Guides series spotlights each stadium across baseball’s affiliated ranks. Each edition provides ballpark highlights, from concessions to seating options to in-game entertainment to mascots. Ballpark Guides also take travelers through each facility’s surrounding area, encompassing the best places in town to eat or drink, nearby tourist

With the Minor League season opening this week, here's where the Pirates’ Top 30 Prospects are projected to start:

At the end of 2022, general manager Ben Cherington expressed optimism that the Pirates were on the verge of improving. Now, following an offseason in which the Bucs supplemented their youth with established veterans, the club stands to take a step forward this season. The Pirates boast more depth at

The Pirates could have a good problem on their hands. This one, in particular, comes at the catching position. Pittsburgh claims two backstops among MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 Prospects in No. 55 Endy Rodriguez and No. 57 Henry Davis. Both reached the upper Minors in 2022 with Rodriguez topping out

This story was excerpted from Justice delos Santos’ Pirates Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox. Mike Burrows already possesses one of the most aesthetically pleasing breaking pitches among the Pirates’ pitching prospects, a biting curveball that completely falls

BRADENTON, Fla. -- At some point this season, Henry Davis and Endy Rodriguez will earn their first call-ups and arrive in Pittsburgh. The future of the Pirates hinges, at least partially, on the shoulders of these young catchers, but Rodriguez possesses no reservations about what they can accomplish. “When we

Major League teams never want to be picking at or near the top of the Draft. After all, that means things didn’t go well at the big league level the year prior. The Pirates have picked in the top 10 for the past three years, including having the No. 1

BRADENTON, Fla. -- Bubba Chandler will have one job in 2023, and he could become an even more prominent talent as a result. The Pirates prospect will transition from being a two-way player to becoming a full-time pitcher for the 2023 season, he told MLB Pipeline from Pittsburgh’s Minor League

BRADENTON, Fla. -- The Pirates announced on Friday that they sent Termarr Johnson, the Bucs' No. 2 prospect per MLB Pipeline, to Minor League camp, ending the young star’s Major League Spring Training experience before it had even really started. At fault was a balky right hamstring that Johnson aggravated