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Sep 7, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates manager Don Kelly (12) looks on from the dugout against the Milwaukee Brewers during the first inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

One Glaring Issue for the Pirates in 2026

Originally posted on Pittsburgh Pirates on SI
By Dominic Campbell | Last updated Feb 14, 2026 1:11 PM ET

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates made additions to their lineup this offseason that will bolster their offense, but likely hurt them in other ways.

The Pirates could struggle defensively in 2026 compared to previous seasons, with a few power bats in the lineup and less impressive fielding assets than in years prior.

Bradford Doolittle of ESPN wrote about the Pirates defense in his article, "MLB 2026: Why your team didn't do what you wanted this winter," asking why they didn't improve in that area of the field.

He praised the moves the Pirates made and that they have a great rotation, but that a potentially poor defense might hurt their postseason ambitions.

"...The staff should strike out a lot of batters, which helps. Still, playoff teams tend to turn balls in play into outs, and the Pirates' positional alignment seems to put too many regulars in tension with their ideal slot on the defensive spectrum," Doolittle wrote.

"At the same time, projecting team defensive rankings is an inexact science, to say the least, so maybe skipper Don Kelly can make it work. A quick ascension by Konnor Griffin at shortstop would surely help."

Why the Pirates May Have Issues Defensively

The Pirates will need a strong defense this season, as while they have a pitching staff that threw the most shutouts of any MLB team (19), they also ranked 21st with 1,314 strikeouts.

Pittsburgh should see those strikeout numbers go up with both rookies in Braxton Ashcraft and Bubba Chandler pitching in more games, but as Doolittle wrote, great defense and strong pitching coupled together is how you build a winning team.

The Pirates have questions at left field, the left side of the infield and how the lineup will shape up with numerous decisions elsewhere and how they deal with it.

Pittsburgh doesn't have a true left fielder, but could turn to free agent signing Ryan O'Hearn there, who has played just 20 MLB games there, or even move Bryan Reynolds back from right field and have O'Hearn take his spot there.

Reynolds moved to right field because of how poor defensively he was in left field, with the worst runs prevented (-11) and outs above average (OAA) (-13) of any MLB player in the position in 2024, according to Statcast.

The Pirates moved on from Gold Glove Award winner Ke'Bryan Hayes at third base, sending him to the Cincinnati Reds at the 2025 trade deadline, and now look like they'll have Jared Triolo there on Opening Day.

Triolo, a Gold Glove award winner as a utility player, should fit well at third base, but depending on if the Pirates add a new player there, that could hurt them defensively at the position, even with offensive improvements.

Nick Gonzales looks like the Opening Day shortstop, but has played just 230.0 innings at the position, with minus-one defensive runs saved (DRS).

The Pirates added second baseman Brandon Lowe in a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays and while he hit 31 home runs in 2025, most at his position, he also had -10 runs prevented and -13 OAA in 2025, both the second worst marks for any MLB second baseman.

Oneil Cruz also returns for his second season in center field, but struggled massively in 2025 in his first full season at the position, committing a major league-leading 11 errors.

He finished with -14 defensive saved (DRS) and -11 defensive runs saved above average (rPM), both the second worst marks of any qualified center fielder in the major leagues, according to FanGraphs.

How the Pirates Could Mitigate Defensive Problems

The Pirates do have some options for getting better on defense, but these additions were made to bolster their lineup, which was one of the worst offensively in all of baseball in 2025.

Pittsburgh would upgrade defensively at shortstop if top prospect Konnor Griffin starts there on Opening Day, as he won an MiLB Gold Glove award in 2025, while also bringing a great bat.

Griffin still hasn't played at Triple-A yet and is 19 years old, the Pirates may have trepidation putting him in that spot early on, but if he impresses in Spring Training, they may have a difficult decision to make.

O'Hearn is best suited at first base, where he posted plus-four DRS, plus-six rPM and plus-six OAA in 2025. Spencer Horwitz can also feature at the position and is a solid defensive first baseman too.

The Pirates also added Jake Mangum in the trade with the Rays and he had some success as a rookie in left field, starting 46 of 63 games there in 2025.

Cruz should also improve in center field, as he worked out with four-time Gold Glove award winner Kevin Kiermaier this offseason, and has the athleticism and arm to excel in the position.

Pirates manager Don Kelly might have a tough time figuring out his lineup, but with the additions and internal improvements, it's a problem he won't mind having.

This article first appeared on Pittsburgh Pirates on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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