Preview: Pirates Battle Yankees in First Home Series
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates (2-5) return home Friday to face the New York Yankees (3-2) in an interleague showdown. The series will serve as Pittsburgh's opening weekend at PNC Park after the club began the season on the road in Florida.
The team is riding a small wave of optimism after pulling out a 3-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday afternoon. The win, with ace pitcher Paul Skenes on the mound, stopped a four-game losing streak.
Three of those losses came via walk-off vs. the Miami Marlins, a heartbreaking start to the season for the Buccos.
There were some bright spots for the Pirates during the first week of the season. During spring training, manager Derek Shelton emphasized a more aggressive strategy on the base paths. We have certainly seen that, as the Pirates lead the league in steals. It will be interesting to see if this newfound identity continues throughout the season.
Additionally, the team has been more than satisfied with their starting pitching performance. What was considered to be a strength heading into the season has certainly looked that way, led by Skenes and veteran Mitch Keller.
Andrew Heaney and Bailey Falter also put together solid first outings last week. Carmen Mlodzinski showed flashes of brilliance, but struggled the most in his first start. As a converted reliver, he is still getting used to pitching deeper into games. The Pirates are confident that he will smooth things out as the season goes on.
The team's offense and bullpen performance have left more to desire, however. As a team, Pittsburgh is hitting .197, which ranks No. 23 in the league. They are also ranked No. 25 in runs scored. The bats will have to get going to beat a team like the Yankees, who lead the league in almost all offensive categories.
The bullpen will also have to step up. After losing two games in a week, closer David Bednar was designated for assignment. It was quite the fall from grace after he made the National League All-Star team in 2022 and 2023.
Dennis Santana finished off the game on Wednesday, an indication that he will be given first crack at the closer's role. He did walk a batter in that appearance, but the inning was relatively drama-free, and Santana got the save in the series finale against the Rays.
The 28-year-old also had the internet in a frenzy for a unique fashion choice that he made.
Have you ever seen this style of baseball pants?? 😭
— MLB (@MLB) April 2, 2025
Dennis Santana’s “pants” had the Rays broadcast in disarray pic.twitter.com/3daKAKlBzI
Pittsburgh will look to keep the positive momentum from Wednesday's matinee as the mighty Yankees come to town. It's always a treat when the Bronx Bombers visit your home ballpark, but it's an even bigger treat to beat them.
The Pirates will try to do exactly that in front of a home crowd that will be excited, yet understandably tentative. Keller will get the first chance to shut down a potent Yankees offense on Friday afternoon. He'll be looking to quiet all the talk of the new torpedo bats that Yankees players have been wielding.
“Torpedo” bats continue to be the talk around baseball – here’s what you need to know! pic.twitter.com/ld5bLsHbjG
— MLB (@MLB) April 1, 2025
Going to the game? Want to sound smart for your buddies in the PNC Park bleachers? Or maybe you just want some water cooler topics for the office on Friday morning. Regardless, here's a brief primer for the series.
Key Stats
- Pirates’ Speed: 19 SB (1st in MLB), 19/21 success rate (90%)
- Yankees’ Power: 22 HR (1st in MLB), .649 SLG (1st), 1.006 OPS (1st)" and "Aaron Judge (NYY): .417/.481/1.167, 6 HR, 15 RBI in 2025
- Pitching Equality: NYY and PIT's pitching staff have performed about equally this season. NYY is 15th in team ERA, PIT is 17th. NYY is 17th in WHIP, PIT is 22nd. The Yankees have been striking out more hitters — they rank ninth in K/9, while the Pirates are 21st.
Probable Pitchers & Matchups
Game 1: Friday, 4:12 PM ET at PNC Park
- PIT: RHP Mitch Keller (6 IP, 1 ER, 4 K in first 2025 start)
- NYY: LHP Max Fried (4 2/3 IP, 2 ER, 4 K in first 2025 start)
- Key Battle: Keller vs. Yankees’ OF Cody Bellinger (.385 BA in 13 career AB against Keller)
Game 2: Saturday, 4:05 PM ET at PNC Park
- PIT: LHP Bailey Falter (6 IP, 2 ER, 4 K in first 2025 start)
- NYY: RHP Marcus Stroman (4 2/3 IP, 3 ER, 3 K in first 2025 start)
- Key Battle: Falter vs Yankees' OF Jazz Chisholm (.500 BA, 1 HR, 5 RBI in 4 career AB against Falter)
Game 3: Sunday, 1:35 PM ET at PNC Park
- PIT: LHP Andrew Heaney (5 IP, 1 ER, 2 K in first 2025 start)
- NYY: RHP Will Warren (5 IP, 2 ER, 4 K, 4BB in first 2025 start)
- Key Battle: Heaney vs Yankees' SS Anthony Volpe (.143 BA in 7 AB against Heaney)
Players to Watch
- Oneil Cruz (PIT): .261 AVG, 2 HR, 6 SB in 2025 – but just 1/18 (.056 AVG) vs. NYY in career.
- Aaron Judge (NYY): .368/.455/1.105, 5 HR, 11 RBI in 2025 – hitting .298 with 14 hits, 3 home runs, 8 RBIs and 9 runs scored in 11 games versus the Pirates in his career.
- Dennis Santana (PIT): 2.70 ERA in three games pitched in 2025; completed his first save in Pirates career on Wednesday.
Ethan Merrill is from Grand Rapids, MI, and brings with him a diverse background of experiences. After graduating from Michigan State University with a degree in journalism, he worked with the Arizona Diamondbacks for three seasons before settling in the Pittsburgh area in 2020. With a passion for sports and a growing connection to his community, Ethan brings a fresh perspective to covering the Pittsburgh Pirates.