Pirates Replace Paul Skenes with Reliever to Start vs. Braves
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates head into their next Grapefruit League game with a new starting pitcher on the mound.
Right-handed pitcher Yohan Ramírez gets his first start of Spring Training, as the Pirates face the Atlanta Braves on the road at CoolToday Park in North Port, Fla. on March 20 with first pitch set for 6:05 p.m.
Ramírez takes the place of right-handed starting pitcher Paul Skenes, who originally had this starting spot, before moving up to March 21 vs. the Toronto Blue Jays at LECOM Park in Bradenton, Fla., which puts Skenes in line for Opening Day on March 26.
This is an important outing for Ramírez, as he is aiming for one of the bullpen spots on the Opening Day roster himself, signing a one-year, $825,000 contract this offseason to avoid arbitration.
Ramírez came up to the Pirates on June 11 and then spent the rest of 2025 with the team, posting a 3-3 record over 24 outings, a 5.40 ERA over 33.1 innings pitched, 45 strikeouts to 16 walks, a .246 batting average allowed and a 1.47 WHIP.
He served the role of middle reliever, which he could very well do again for the Pirates in 2026, especially if they need someone to take on innings.
Ramírez has made seven bullpen appearances for the Pirates in the Grapefruit League, with a 3.68 ERA over 7.1 innings pitched, six strikeouts to two walks, a .250 BAA and a 1.23 WHIP.
He only gave up a solo home run in his first appearance and then had five straight scoreless outings. His most recent appearance saw him give up two earned runs against the Tampa Bay Rays at Charlotte Sports Park in Port Charlotte, Fla. on March 15.
Ramírez has mostly relied on his four-seam fast ball which reaches around 96-97 mph and his sweeper and sinker too. He has thrown his curveball and slider much less, so he'll likely continue with his three-pitch mix for most of 2026.
Pitch | Total | Average Velocity |
|---|---|---|
Four-Seam Fastball | 42/104 | 96.4 mph |
Sweeper | 26/104 | 83.9 mph |
Sinker | 21/104 | 96.7 mph |
Curveball | 9/104 | 83.8 mph |
Slider | 6/104 | 87 mph |
He is on a few days rest and will get a chance to show the Pirates he deserves a spot on the plane when they face the New York Mets at Citi Field next week.
Other Important Lineup Notes
- Rafael Flores Jr. makes his eighth start in Spring Training and the fourth one as catcher for the Pirates, where he is also looking to show he should have a spot on the Opening Day roster. He has a .083 batting average and just has two hits in 24 at-bats.
- Nick Gonzales makes the start at third base, his third in Spring Training and could hint that he may have to play at the position with a lack of depth for the Pirates.
- Top Prospect Jhostynxon Garcia starts in right field and has had a great showing from the plate in Spring Training. He's slashed .441/.500/.647 for an OPS of 1.147, with 15 hits in 34 at-bats, a double, two home runs, five RBI, four walks to nine strikeouts and three stolen bases.
- Nick Yorke starts at second base and looks to try and get one of the last Opening Day roster spots. He has slashed .262/.326/.381 for an OPS of .707 in 16 games in the Grapefruit League.
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.