Pirates Pitching Prospect Could Bounce Back in 2026
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates had one of the more promising pitchers coming into 2025, who ended up having a disappointing campaign.
Pirates right-handed starting pitcher Thomas Harrington struggled throughout 2025, especially in his two short stints at the major league level, but also down in the minors too.
MLB Pipeline originally had Harrington in their top 100 this season before dropping him out, following poor performances.
Harrington will head down to Pirate City in Bradenton, Fla. next week and has a shot to have a great campaign and turn his career around for the better in 2026.
Thomas Harrington Named Bounceback Candidate in 2026
Jesús Cano of Baseball America wrote about Harrington in his article, "15 MLB Prospects Who Could Bounce Back in 2026."
Canó looked at Harrington and noted his vast pitch mix that he possesses, which makes up for his lower velocity on his non-offspeed pitches.
He also noted that he'll have to find ways to be more strategic with his pitches and improve upon them, especially after his struggles with the Pirates in 2025.
"Harrington isn’t a prototypical flamethrower who overpowers hitters with raw velocity. Instead, he relies on a deep and diverse arsenal, deploying seven different pitches last season to attack hitters in a variety of ways," Canó wrote.
"His approach is anchored by a low-90s four-seam fastball, splitter and sweeper, forming a trio that allows him to change eye levels, manipulate movement and keep hitters consistently off balance.
"Harrington received a harsh reality check during his MLB debut in April 2025 when he was hit hard against big league competition, highlighting the thin margin for error at the highest level, and his hallmark precision backed up.
"With reported tweaks to his delivery aimed at improving consistency and command, Harrington appears well-positioned to recalibrate and push for a bounceback season."
Harrington's Tough 2025 Season with the Pirates
Harrington spent time with the Pirates this season, as they selected his contract on April 1 and made his MLB debut that same day vs. the Tampa Bay Rays at George M. Steinbrenner Stadium.
He struggled in that outing allowing seven hits, four walks and six earned runs with just two strikeouts over 90 pitches in four innings in the 7-0 loss.
Harrington made his second appearance against the St. Louis Cardinals in his PNC Park debut on April 7, but this time, from the bullpen.
He came in during the sixth inning and had a solid outing, closing out the final four innings in the 8-4 win.
Harrington became the first Pirates pitcher to earn a four-inning save since Jason Christiansen did so in a 5-1 win over the Montreal Expos on July 17, 1998.
The Pirates sent Harrington back down to Indianapolis on April 10 and he spent almost four months there before they recalled him on Aug. 1.
Harrington struggled massively in his last outing with the Pirates against the Rockies at Coors Field that same day, giving up six earned runs and getting just two outs, as the home team came back and cut the deficit to 15-10 and eventually won 17-16.
The Pirates sent Harrington back down to Indianapolis the next day and he made just two more starts, but spent most of his time on the injured list, dealing with a groin injury.
He started 20 of 21 games he pitched at Triple-A in 2025, with a 7-9 record, a 5.34 ERA over 96.0 innings pitched, 90 strikeouts to 33 walks, a .251 batting average allowed and a 1.31 WHIP.
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.