How Pirates Are Actually Building Their Opening Day Roster
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates head into a 2026 season with high expectations and a roster that is set to go and meet them.
The Pirates front office went into the offseason and made two big trades and signed two free agents, all of whom should make the lineup stronger than it was at the end of last September.
Pittsburgh also has a great starting rotation and a bullpen that will combine for one of the better pitching staffs in all of baseball.
The Pirates little time before Opening Day, where they take on the New York Mets at Citi Field on March 26, but this Spring Training has given them a chance to see how they'll shape up for the first game.
Emphasis on Power
Home runs were hard to come by for the Pirates in 2025, as they hit just 117, the lowest mark in the major leagues.
This also coincided with them struggling overall in most areas offensively, with the lowest slugging percentage (.350) and OPS (.655), the third lowest batting average (.231) and the eighth lowest on-base percentage (.305). They also scored the least runs (583) and drove in the least RBI (561).
Pittsburgh went out and added two big-time power bats in trades, with outfield prospect Jhostynxon Garcia from the Boston Red Sox and second baseman Brandon Lowe from the Tampa Bay Rays.
Garcia hit more 20 home runs over the past two seasons in the minor leagues and Lowe hit 31 home runs last season, the most of any MLB second baseman.
The Pirates then went out and signed free agents in Ryan O'Hearn and Marcell Ozuna, adding veteran bats to their lineup.
O'Hearn has averaged an .800 OPS and around 15 home runs over the past three seasons, while Ozuna is one of just four National League hitters that have at least 20 home runs in each of the last four campaigns.
Lowe, O'Hearn and Ozuna will all feature heavily in the starting lineup, while Garcia is making a great case for the Opening Day roster in Spring Training, slashing .517/.576/.759 for an OPS of 1.335 in 13 games.
The Pirates also have the likes of outfielders in Oneil Cruz and Bryan Reynolds, who struggled last year, but are gearing for big seasons in 2026.
Cruz worked on facing left-handed pitching in Spring Training rand Reynolds focused on his swing path, looking for better contact and in turn, more power.
If those players, plus the likes of first baseman Spencer Horwitz and Jared Triolo can add power, plus top propsect Konnor Griffin eventually coming up, potentially on Opening Day, the Pirates may have a solid power lineup for the first time in many years.
Competition for Utility Role
The Pirates usually would have Triolo as their main utility player and for good reason, as he won a Gold Glove Award in 2024 and was a finalist in 2025, but should've won that as well.
Triolo will have to serve as the main third baseman for the Pirates for most of 2026, as they didn't make a big addition at the position this offseason, missing out on some big time free agents.
Pittsburgh doesn't have much depth at third base behind Triolo, but two players have emerged as options that could hold that utility role.
Nick Yorke has had a solid showing in Spring Training, slashing .273/.333/.424 for an OPS of .757 in 14 at-bats, with nine hits in 33 at-bats, seven runs scored, a triple, a home run, four RBI and three walks to four strikeouts with three stolen bases.
He's also started four times each at both second base and third base, twice at first base and once at left field.
The Pirates also traded for Cincinnati Reds utility prospect Tyler Callihan, who can play the same positions as Yorke and both corner outfield spots.
Pittsburgh having multiple options for their utility role, gives them a better idea of who will help the team throughout a long season.
Getting More Strikeouts
The Pirates have one of the better pitching staffs in baseball and have most of their cast from last season returning.
2025 NL Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes, veteran Mitch Keller and rookies in Braxton Ashcraft and Bubba Chandler make up the bulk of their starting rotation and will bring a hard edge and great pitching throughout.
The bullpen also has some sensational pitchers with the likes of right-handers in Justin Lawrence, Isaac Mattson, Carmen Mlodzinski and Dennis Santana and left-handers like Mason Montgomery and Gregory Soto.
What Pittsburgh will look from their pitching staff is not just a top 10 ERA and a number of shutouts, an MLB-high 19 last season, but also for dominant showings, particularly with more strikeouts.
The Pirates ranked 21st with 1,314 strikeouts in 2025 and seven of the top 10 teams in strikeouts made the playoffs last season.
Skenes threw a Pirates record 216 strikeouts in 2025, the most for a pitcher in the live-ball era (since 1920), while both Ashcraft and Chandler will have high K/9 rates, with a dominant slider and fastball for the respective pitchers.
Keller will look to get some more strikeouts himself, but he takes on a great deal of innings and will look to keep doing that in 2026.
Bullpen pitchers like Montgomery, Mattson and Santana will have a bunch of strikeouts in 2026, with Montgomery throwing 100 mph and Mattson reaching the mid-upper 90s mph himself.
The Pirates will hope to keep their strong pitching performance going from last year into this season, but they'll aim for a higher strikeout rate if possible.
Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.