PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes has made many important starts throughout his career, but maybe none more than his most recent one.
Coming off an MLB season that saw him named an MLB All-Star for the second time in his two-year career and also notch his first NL Cy Young Award, Paul Skenes took the bump for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic.
As Spring Training opens for 2026, all 30 teams have high hopes and big questions. These are the storylines to follow for each team heading into Opening Day.
The Pittsburgh Pirates have a handful of players making a run for an Opening Day roster spot. The likes of Nick Yorke, Jake Mangum, Rafael Flores, and Jhostynxon García are in the running for bench/platoon roles.
PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates continue cutting down their roster ahead of Opening Day, with another batch of players not making the major league roster.
The 2026 MLB season is right around the corner, and it is never too early to start thinking about how it might unfold. Seemingly, every year, we have a decent handle on who should contend and who is likely to struggle, which makes looking ahead to the trade deadline inevitable.
Drafting a pitcher in the first round in fantasy baseball is always a risky proposition. As a result, not every year’s average draft position (ADP) results even contain a starter in the first round.
PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Oneil Cruz has had a great start to the World Baseball Classic and has displayed incredible power once again.
Spring Training performances can always be questionable. The mix of a small sample size and against lower-level competition means that a player’s bottom line will always come into question during the pre-season.
PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates have still kept making moves this offseason, trying to make the best roster they can before Opening Day. The Pirates traded for Cincinnati Reds utility man Tyler Callihan, sending right-handed relief pitcher Kyle Nicolas in return on March 4, marking the first trade of Spring Training.
PITTSBURGH — Konnor Griffin is the main focus for Pittsburgh Pirates fans for Spring Training and the team is aware of this too. Griffin is the consensus top prospect in baseball and at just 19 years old, he's pushing for a spot on the Opening Day roster as the Pirates starting shortstop.
PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates still have roster spots up for competition, and certain players stood out in their most recent Spring Training game.
The Pittsburgh Pirates have a gem in shortstop prospect Konnor Griffin. Griffin has already turned heads during Major League Baseball’s spring training, with his powerful bat and solid defensive play.
There isn’t a single Pittsburgh Pirates fan who wouldn’t be thrilled to see Konnor Griffin open the year as the Bucs’ starting shortstop. He is the number one prospect in all of baseball, and for a good reason.
The Pittsburgh Pirates have been generating more buzz than usual this offseason, as fans gush over reigning National League Cy Young Paul Skenes and top MLB prospect Konnor Griffin.
For any young prospect, making a professional debut can be a nerve-racking experience. The shift from amateur stardom to the daily grind of professional baseball brings bigger expectations, physical demands, and the pressure of proving you belong.