What Pirates Spring Training Lineup Adjustments Tell Us to Expect Opening Day
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates have just two weeks until they start their first game of 2026, with the remaining time in Spring Training a crucial period for them.
The Pirates have played almost three weeks worth of Spring Training games and experimented with different players in different positions throughout, as they try and see who fits best and where they would benefit the team the most.
Pittsburgh had a busy offseason, adding a number of position players that bring competition and a new look to the lineup for this season.
The Pirates still have some position battles ongoing, but manager Don Kelly's lineups have given a good idea to how they'll look against the New York Mets at Citi Field on March 26.
A Changed Outfield, but Only One Major Difference
The Pirates will have both Oneil Cruz and Bryan Reynolds back in the outfield for 2026, but with a new addition and a position change.
Free agents signing Ryan O'Hearn will likely feature as the main person in right field, starting there in seven of the nine games he's played, along with two starts at first base.
O'Hearn has spent most of his career at either first base and designated hitter, with just 101 games played in right field, but other additions have moved him there.
Reynolds, who moved over from left field to right field for the 2025 season, will now likely move back to left field for the vast majority of games in 2026.
He has started five of nine games in the Grapefruit League in left field, but should also make appearances at designated hitter, with three starts there.
Cruz remains in center field and that should complete the outfield trio for most of 2026 for the Pirates.
The biggest question remains how effective they'll be defensively, as Reynolds moved to right field to have better defensive metrics after a terrible year in left field in 2024, Cruz struggled massively last season and O'Hearn has little experience.
Pittsburgh has three great power bats in the outfield, who should feature all over the lineup, but they must show improved defense for the long season ahead.
Infield With a Few Locks and Battles Too
The Pirates have some players locked into their positions in the infield, but also a few position battles as well.
Jared Triolo should feature as the every day third baseman, but has also started a five games at shortstop as well in the Grapefruit League, splitting duties between both spots.
Triolo will almost certainly be the third baseman, but the Pirates also want their top utility man at different positions, particularly as depth at shortstop if needed, which he has played at consistently.
Spencer Horwitz will feature mostly at first base, starting there all five Spring Training games before going to play for Team Israel in the World Baseball Classic.
Free agent signing Marcell Ozuna will serve as the Pirates designated hitter, as that is the position he's featured at almost solely the past few seasons and for the seven starts in Spring Training.
Brandon Lowe, who the Pirates landed in a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays, is the starting second baseman.
Shortstop is more of a battle, but Nick Gonzales is the likely projected starter there, even with just two of five starts at the position before going to play for Team Mexico in the World Baseball Classic.
Gonzales also played twice at second base, his top position that Lowe starts at, and once at third base, a position he's hardly ever played in his professional career, just four starts in nine games with the Pirates there.
Top prospect Konnor Griffin has gotten the vast majority of starts at shortstop, especailly with Gonzales gone at the WBC, and there is always a shot that he earns a spot on the Opening Day roster.
Griffin is also 19 years old and not played much higher than High-A, just 21 games at Double-A last season, so the Pirates will likely consider keeping him at Triple-A to start 2026.
Another look for the Pirates is the battle for the next utility player, with both Nick Yorke and newly acquired prospect Tyler Callihan going at it.
Both players can serve a number of different roles, including most infield positions and both corner outfield spots. They are most likely going to bring depth for the Pirates at third base, where Triolo is the only player with much experience at.
Yorke has started 10 games, with four starts at third base and three starts each at second base and first base. Callihan has started twice at second base and once at third base for the Pirates since they got him in the trade from the Cincinnati Reds on March 4.
Catcher Not Changing for Opening Day
Henry Davis will serve as the catcher for Opening Day, barring injury, as he is the main catcher for Paul Skenes, the 2025 National League Cy Young Award winner.
Joey Bart will also serve as the backup catcher as well, with both Rafael Flores Jr. and Endy Rodríguez starting out in Triple-A.
Davis has started seven games at catcher, Bart six games at the position, Flores started three games there and Rodríguez has started twice.
None of the Pirates catchers have hit well in Spring Training, which is somewhat a cause for concern, but also a small sample size for what the front office can look at going forward.
Davis is the best defensive catcher and even received consideration for a Gold Glove Award last season, but hit .167 and has no hits in 15 at-bats in the Grapefruit League.
Bart has just two hits in 21 at-bats for a .095 batting average, Flores has two hits in 16 at-bats for a .125 batting average and Rodríguez leads with four hits in 16 at-bats for a modest .250 batting average.
Offensive production won't serve as the main focus for the catchers this season, as they continue helping a young pitching staff get better, but they also need more production from the plate than they've done so far.
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.