Pirates All 40: Can David Bednar Regain All-Star Form?

This is one in a series of stories breaking down members of the Pittsburgh Pirates’ 40-man roster.

David Bednar sure made the most of his first couple years with his hometown team.

The Pittsburgh Pirates acquired Bednar from the San Diego Padres as part of a three-team trade with the San Diego Padres during the 2020-21 offseason.

In his first year with the Pirates, the right-hander went 3-1 with a sparkling 2.23 ERA and struck out 77 batters in 60.2 innings. Bednar recorded his first save on Aug. 21 against the St. Louis Cardinals and totaled three in his first season in Pittsburgh.

After an excellent first impression in his first year, Bednar eventually became the Pirates’ closer in 2022 and established himself as one of the top closing pitchers in baseball. In 111 combined appearances between the two seasons, Bednar owned a 2.27 ERA with 149 strikeouts across 119 innings and 58 saves. He was named to the National League All-Star team both years.

Bednar entered last year’s spring training expected to once again anchor the Pirates’ bullpen, but things quickly went awry.

A lat injury limited Bednar to just a handful of appearances during spring training, and the now-30-year-old never quite looked like himself during the regular season.

After three-straight seasons with a sub-2.00 ERA, Bednar’s mark ballooned to 5.77 in 2024. His strikeout rate dropped considerably while his walk and home run totals both climbed. Additionally, Bednar converted just 23 of his 30 save opportunities and was taken out of the closer’s role late in the season.

While Bednar’s fastball velocity remained high, the effectiveness of the pitch dropped drastically, which was a key reason why he struggled so much during the season.

Whether Bednar’s struggles last season were because of an injury, an abbreviated spring training or another reason, the Pirates will be counting on Bednar to look more like the 2021-23 version of himself in 2025.

Bednar’s struggles highlighted a poor showing overall from the Pirates last year. Having a reliable Bednar in the back of the bullpen again will go a long ways in getting the bullpen back on track this coming season.

Background

• Bednar graduated from Mars High School outside of Pittsburgh and was drafted by the Padres in the 35h round out of Lafayette College in 2016.
• Prior to getting dealt to the Pirates, Bednar made 17 appearances with San Diego from 2019-20 and posted a 6.75 ERA.
• In addition to two All-Star appearances from 2022-23, Bednar finished eighth in the National League rookie of the year race in 2021.
• Bednar was tied for the National League lead with 39 saves in 2023. Camilo Doval of the San Francisco Giants also had 39 saves that season.
• Contract status: Bednar and the Pirates avoided arbitration by agreeing to a $5.9 million salary for 2025.