Pirates Complete Opening Day Pitching Staff
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates have one of the better pitching staffs in all of baseball and now have their full list of arms that will start the season on the Opening Day roster.
Both left-handed pitcher Hunter Barco and right-handed pitcher José Urquidy have made the Pirates Opening Day roster, according to Jason Mackey of MLB.com. This means that the Pirates will reassign non-roster invitee in right-handed pitcher Mike Clevinger to minor league camp.
The Pirates now have 13 pitchers on their staff in Major League Camp, solidifying their Opening Day roster, barring any final roster additions over the next three days.
It marks the first time that Barco and Urquidy have made the Pirates Opening Day pitching staff, with Barco making his MLB debut last September and Urquidy signing as a free agent on Feb. 12.
Pirates Pitching Staff
Starting Rotation
- Paul Skenes
- Mitch Keller
- Braxton Ashcraft
- Bubba Chandler
- Carmen Mlodzinski
Bullpen
- Hunter Barco
- Justin Lawrence
- Isaac Mattson
- Mason Montgomery
- Yohan Ramírez
- Dennis Santana
- Gregory Soto
- José Urquidy
What This Means for the Pirates Pitching Staff
The Pirates adding Barco may look like somewhat of a risk, but he gives the pitching staff two important qualities that they need, which is a left-handed pitcher and a future starting pitcher.
Pittsburgh's first five-man starting rotation is all right-handed pitchers, and while those are the best options at the moment, adding a southpaw as a starter is important for any team that has playoff aspirations.
Barco needs more time in bullpen roles, with just two outings at the major league level last year, but is a top 100 prospect and the best left-handed pitcher in the Pirates farm system.
His 2.89 ERA over four outings, two starts and 9.1 innings pitched in the Grapefruit League have shown that he has continued his progression from last season and is ready to make contributions to the Pirates on a full-time basis.
Urquidy makes more sense than Clevinger, just by virtue of being on the 40-man roster and that the Pirates don't have to designate someone for assignment to keep him around.
He struggled with efficiency in Spring Training, with a 9.28 ERA over three starts and four outings, for 11 earned runs over 10.2 innings pitched.
Urquidy is a veteran option and does have a good relationship with new Pirates pitching coach Bill Murphy, as the two were previously on the Houston Astros together.
He is better against left-handed batters than right-handed batters, with his BAA at .215 and .293 in his last full season of MLB pitching in 2023.
Both additions allow the Pirates to utilize their pitchers more efficiently, with both Ashcraft and Chandler on innings restrictions this season. Barco and Urquidy can take on more innings and allow rest for their two star rookies when needed.
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.