One Pirates Pitcher Standing Out in Arizona Fall League
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates have a few prospects down in the Arizona Fall League, with one pitcher standing out.
Pirates right-handed pitching prospect Bryan Mena has been great with the Glendale Desert Dogs in the AFL, still not giving up a run.
Mena most recently threw 2.2 scoreless innings of relief for Glendale, giving up three hits and a walk, but posting five strikeouts in the 1-0 win over Salt River on Oct. 27.
The AFL is an important time for prospects to show off their stuff before the season ends, and Mena is taking the most of it.
What to Know About Bryan Mena
Mena only recently joined the Pirates last offseason, as they selected him in the AAA phase of the Rule 5 Draft on Dec. 10, 2025, from the Colorado Rockies.
The 22-year-old from the Dominican Republic signed with the Rockies in the 2021 International Signing Class Period, pitching five seasons for the organization and reaching as high as Single-A Fresno.
He spent all of 2026 with High-A Greensboro, where he posted a 5-4 record in 22 outings and 14 starts, a 4.87 ERA over 88.2 innings, 70 strikeouts to 37 walks, a .262 BAA and a 1.44 WHIP.
Mena employs five pitches in his arsenal: curveball, slider, sinker, four-seam fastball and a changeup.
He doesn't overpower hitters, averaging 92.5 mph on his sinker and 91.8 mph on his fastball, but he's more likely to throw his curveball and slider, which he's gotten whiff rates of 57.1% and 63.2%, respectively, in the AFL.
Mena keeps his walks low, but also his strikeouts, and allows a higher BAA than you'd like at this stage.
He'll need to continue developing into a pitcher who dominates with command of his off-speed pitches, while limiting the type of contact he's allowed so far in his minor league career.
Bryan Mena's Success in AFL
Mena has pitched in four games with two starts, throwing 7.2 scoreless innings, with nine hits and three walks allowed to 11 strikeouts, a 1.57 WHIP and a .273 BAA.
He threw three scoreless innings, with four hits allowed and three strikeouts, in a start against the Surprise Saguaros on Oct. 20, a 10-3 win for Glendale.
Mena also threw 1.2 innings in his first start, a 6-5 loss to Salt River on Oct. 13, and got an out in his first appearance against the Peoria Javelinas on Oct. 8.
He's been by far the best Pirates pitching prospect in the AFL, which includes Zander Mueth (17.36 ERA), Brandon Cain (12.16 ERA), Cristhian Tortosa (18.00 ERA) and Michael Walsh (5.63 ERA), who have all struggled.
There is one week left in the AFL for Mena, and if he can put in one more good start/outing, it'll be great ending to 2026 and should drive him on for 2027.
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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.