Pirates Announce Opening Day Lineup vs. Mets
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates begin their 2026 with a lineup that looks much differently from last Opening Day and also the final game of 2025 as well.
The Pirates unveiled their Opening Day lineup vs. the New York Mets at Citi Field, with three players that will make their debut for the ball club, plus six returning players, including one in a new position.
Free agent signings in Marcell Ozuna and Ryan O'Hearn will hit third and fourth, with Ozuna at designated hitter and O'Hearn taking over in right field. Brandon Lowe, who the Pirates acquired in trade with the Tampa Bay Rays, plays second base and hits second in the lineup.
The rest of the Pirates outfield sees Oneil Cruz play center field and leadoff and Bryan Reynolds move back to left field, where he played almost all of 2024, and hit third.
Pittsburgh's back end of the lineup features most of their infield, with Jared Triolo moving back to shortstop and hitting sixth, Spencer Horwitz sticking at first base and hitting seventh and then Nick Gonzales taking over at third base and hitting eighth.
Henry Davis will finish out the lineup and hit ninth, while serving as Paul Skenes' catcher for the 1:15 p.m. first pitch.
Skenes will make his second straight Opening Day start and is coming off a 2025 campaign where he won National League Cy Young Award. He is also aiming to win this start, after ending his start in a no-decision vs. the Miami Marlins at loanDepot Park, which the Pirates eventually lost.
Pirates Opening Day Lineup vs. Mets
Player | Position | Batting Side |
|---|---|---|
Oneil Cruz | Center Field | Left |
Brandon Lowe | Second Base | Left |
Bryan Reynolds | Left Field | Switch |
Marcell Ozuna | Designated Hitter | Right |
Ryan O'Hearn | Right Field | Left |
Jared Triolo | Shortstop | Right |
Spencer Horwitz | First Base | Left |
Nick Gonzales | Third Base | Right |
Henry Davis | Catcher | Right |
Analysis of the Pirates' Opening Day Lineup
Cruz ledoff eight Spring Training games for the Pirates and will hold that role to start out 2026. He ledoff 60 times in 2025 for Pittsburgh and for two straight months from mid-April to late-June.
The Pirates will want Cruz to focus on getting on base, stealing bases and using his speed to score more runs early and often.
Lowe and Reynolds mostly hit second and third this spring, respectively, with Lowe doing so in eight of his nine starts and then Reynolds hitting third in all 16 starts.
The Pirates usually had O'Hearn hit fourth and Ozuna hit fifth in Spring Training, but they're switching it up with Ozuna batting fourth and O'Hearn batting fifth.
Switching it up likely has to do with the Pirates not wanting to be too left-handed dominant early, with Cruz, Lowe and Reynolds already doing so. Reynolds is a switch hitter, but will hit left-handed against Mets right-handed starting pitcher Freddy Peralta.
Ozuna is a right-handed batter and since O'Hearn is left-handed, it makes for a somewhat more balanced lineup.
Triolo and Horwitz could've been in either the sixth or seventh spot, but Triolo gets the nod ahead, again, as he is a right-handed batter and Horwitz is left-handed.
Gonzales and Davis will finish out the lineup, two of the Pirates' weaker hitters, but who could also provide some offense if a pitcher is too focused on the top half of the batting order.
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— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) March 26, 2026
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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.