Reds Look to Build Momentum in NL Central Matchup: Pirates Series Preview

Coming off a successful first series of the 2026 season, the Cincinnati Reds now look ahead to a matchup with NL Central rival, the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Pirates opened their season losing two out of three vs the high-powered New York Mets, but were very competitive in all three games. There's a lot of buzz about the Pirates potentially taking a step toward being competitive in the 2026 season after big off-season acquisitions such as Marcell Ozuna and Brandon Lowe, along with great current talent like 2025 NL Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes and fellow starting pitcher Braxton Ashcraft.

Despite their improvements, the Pirates still have a lot of work to do to get to that next level, but even though the two teams are on different levels, the Pirates have been a thorn in the Reds' side in recent memory, including the Reds just slightly edging the Pirates 7-6 in head-to-head matchups in the 2025 season.

Now, the Reds look to continue building the momentum from their first series and take care of business vs a team they feel they have a competitive edge over. Here is how the series lines up to start the week:

Game 1: Chase Burns vs Braxton Ashcraft
Game 2: Brandon Williamson vs Bubba Chandler
Game 3: Andrew Abbott vs Paul Skenes

Previewing Game 1: How do the Reds fare vs Braxton Ashcraft:

Redss — Sep 25, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Braxton Ashcraft (67) pitches against the Cincinnati Reds in the third inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

Braxton Ashcraft spent his rookie season in 2025 bouncing back and forth for the Pirates between the starting rotation and the bullpen, making 26 appearances and starting eight games. In 2 appearances vs the Reds, Ashcraft threw 7.2 innings, giving up three earned runs and 11 hits with ten strikeouts. Nobody on the Reds has more than four at-bats vs the Pirates starter, with TJ Friedl leading the way for the Reds, having an OPS of 1.800

How do the Pirates fare vs Chase Burns:

The Reds' young pitching phenom made just two starts vs. the Pirates in 2025, throwing eight combined innings, giving up just one earned run on three hits and striking out 13 Pirates. Of the current members of the Pirates roster, the most successful hitter on the team is Bryan Reynolds, who has a 1.000 OPS in 3 at-bats.

Game 2: The Reds vs Bubba Chandler:

Mar 20, 2026; Mesa, Arizona, USA; Cincinnati Reds pitcher Brandon Williamson (55) throws against the Chicago Cubs in the first inning at Sloan Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images | Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

Like Ashcraft, Chandler made his MLB debut in 2025, making just seven appearances with four starts. Chandler didn't face the Reds during his rookie campaign.

The Pirates vs Brandon Williamson:

Williamson is making his MLB return after dealing with Tommy John surgery, and missing the 2025 season. The current members of the Pirates have a combined 11 career at-bats vs Williamson with limited success.

Game 3: The Reds vs Paul Skenes

Paul Skenes comes into GABP on Wednesday with a 67.50 ERA. While that is certainly jaw-dropping, he has O'Neil Cruz to thank for that after his opening day start vs the Mets. With that said, like the rest of baseball, the Reds do not have much success against Skenes. In Skenes's five starts vs the Reds, he sports a 0.31 ERA in 29 innings with 40 strikeouts and one earned run.

The Pirates vs Andrew Abbott:

Andrew Abbott has made 3 career starts vs the Pirates, including last season throwing 5 innings of one run baseball vs Pittsburgh. Abbott has 15 career innigs vs Pittsburgh with a 2-0 record and a 3.00 ERA.

While this is just the second series of the season, the Reds need to take these games seriously to not only keep their winning ways going but also get off to a hot start in divisional games.