Pirates Announce Starting Pitchers for Final Season Series
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates rotation is pitching in their last games of 2026, with this being the final weekend they take the mound.
The Pirates face the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park, Sept. 25-27, marking the final three games of the season, where the starting pitchers have one last shot to impress.
Pittsburgh has two right-handed pitchers, Bubba Chandler throwing in the series opener, Sept. 25, and Jared Jones throwing in the series/season finale, Sept. 27, while the Pirates have "TBA" listed for Sept. 26.
Detroit has three right-handed pitchers up against Pittsburgh: Jackson Jobe in the series opener, Justin Verlander in his final start on Sept. 26 and River Ryan in the series finale.
Chandler Finishing Up Rookie Season
It's been a long year for Chandler, who went from one of the best pitching prospects in baseball to seeing how tough a full season at the major league level really is.
Chandler has posted an 8-9 record in 29 starts and 30 appearances, a 4.34 ERA over 151.2 innings pitched, 138 strikeouts to 76 walks, a .232 batting average allowed and a 1.37 WHIP.
Command has been a big issue for Chandler this year, whose 4.52 BB/9 and 11.6 BB% rate rank third-highest, 76 walks rank sixth-most and 1.37 WHIP is the 10th-highest.
It's been a much better second half for the Pirates rookie, who has a 5-1 record in 11 starts, a 3.63 ERA over 57 innings pitched, 53 strikeouts to 21 walks, a .237 BAA and a 1.25 WHIP.
Chandler has matured over this season, but still dealt with tough starts, such as his last against the Kansas City Royals at PNC Park on Sept. 19, where he gave up eight hits and three runs, lasting just four innings.
He has a great chance to end his 2026 season, using his stuff to overpower the Tigers' lineup and give the Pirates the best chance to win.
Pirates Have One Final Bullpen Game
The Pittsburgh Pirates have utilized the bullpen game for two of their five rotation spots, as Chandler, Jones and Paul Skenes have been their lone healthy starting pitchers.
Braxton Ashcraft and Mitch Keller are both out injured, and it's forced the Pirates to use their bullpen far more than they anticipated.
Lake Bachar has been the starting pitcher for eight of these games and could start again, as he last pitched against the St. Louis Cardinals on Sept. 23, so he would have two days of rest.
Rookie right-handed pitcher Wilber Dotel hasn't pitched since Sept. 20, so he would be in line for a bulk role in this game.
How Chandler pitches will determine who the Pirates use and how they plan against the Tigers.
Jones Developing into Future Pirates Ace
One player who has had a fantastic end to his season is Jones, showing why the Pirates have so much faith in him.
Jones has won three of his four starts in September and posted a 1.08 ERA over 25.0 innings pitched, 35 strikeouts to four walks, a .140 BAA and a 0.64 WHIP.
He's been among the best pitchers in baseball this month, with the second-lowest WHIP, second-most strikeouts, third-lowest BAA and ERA and the fourth-best K/9 (12.60) and K/BB (8.75).
Jones is also coming off one of the best starts of his career against the Cardinals on Sept. 22, taking a perfect game into the sixth inning, allowing only one hit and tying his season-high of nine strikeouts over seven innings.
Opposing hitters struggle massively with his fastball and slider, accounting for 31 of his 35 strikeouts, making for strong outings.
Jones is almost four months back from his first MLB start after returning from internal brace surgery and he looks like he will finally develop into the ace the Pirates always wanted.
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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.