Pirates Announce 2026 Starting Rotation
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates have their starting rotation ready for the beginning of the 2026 season, which should serve as one of their strongest units.
Pirates manager Don Kelly announced that the starting rotation, for the first two series, is right-handed pitchers in Paul Skenes, Mitch Keller, Carmen Mlodzinski, Braxton Ashcraft and Bubba Chandler.
The Pirates previously announced Skenes as the Opening Day starter vs. the New York Mets at Citi Field on March 26, with first pitch set for 1:15 p.m. and a national television broadcast on NBC.
Keller will take the second game for the Pirates vs. the Mets on March 28, with first pitch set for 4:10 p.m. and make it his seventh straight season in the starting rotation.
Mlodizinski will close out the series for the Pirates at Citi Field on March 29, with a 1:40 p.m. first pitch. He wins the fifth starting pitcher battle and rejoins the starting rotation, where he was to start the 2025 season as well.
The Pirates then travel to face the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park and will have rookies in Ashcraft start on March 30 and Chandler start on March 31, with both games having first pitch times of 6:40 p.m.
How Pirates' Starting Rotation Should Look the Rest of the Season
The Pirates have their four starting pitchers for most of the season in Skenes, Keller, Ashcraft and Chandler, while Mlodzinski's position is more precarious.
The 2025 National League Cy Young Award winner, the most veteran starting pitcher and two star rookies give the Pirates a great rotation, with all four looking to earn awards and get better throughout the campaign.
Mlodzinski made nine starts for the Pirates in his first stint in 2025, posting a 1-4 record, a 5.67 ERA over 39.2 innings pitched, 28 strikeouts to 12 walks and a .311 batting average allowed.
He did well through the lineup the first time around, but the second and third times presented issues for him.
Mlodzinski has done solid as a starter for the Pirates in Spring Training, with a 2.70 ERA in three starts and 10.0 innings pitched, but a .303 BAA and a 1.30 WHIP.
It also helped Mlodzinski that right-handed pitcher José Urquidy, who the Pirates signed as a free agent this offseason, struggled in Spring Training, with a 9.35 ERA over three starts and 8.2 innings pitched.
Left-handed pitcher Hunter Barco is still in Major League Camp, but he'll either occupy a bullpen role or get more starting opportunities at Triple-A Indianapolis, with Urquidy in the same situation.
The Pirates will also have right-handed pitcher Jared Jones coming back from internal brace surgery, as he is currently slated for a late May-early June return.
It's likely Jones will need rehab assignments and then eventually return to the bullpen before ramping up back to a starting pitching role.
Mlodzinski had a strong return to the Pirates in 2025, after they demoted him to Triple-A, including a 2.15 ERA out of the bullpen.
If he can maintain some of that success as a starter, he should keep his spot in the rotation for at least the first few months.
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.