Pirates Perfect 2027 Opening Day Lineup

Griffin stole 23 bases and was only caught stealing four times, but his spring speed is in the 98th percentile at 29.9 feet per second, tied for 11th-best in baseball in 2026 per Statcast.

He can easily turn a single into a double or a double into a triple, which gives the Pirates the best chance to score early and often.

The Pirates will hope Griffin stays healthy for a full year and develops even more as a hitter.

“Just try to get on base and use my speed," Griffin said on batting leadoff back on June 26. "I didn’t have much opportunities with lefties on the mound but I’m going to try to continue to be aggressive and steal bases. With guys like Brandon Lowe and Reynolds behind me, if they can put it in the gap I’m going to score. That’s the value I can bring being in that leadoff spot.”

No. 2: 2B Brandon Lowe

The Pirates' biggest objective this offseason will be signing second baseman Brandon Lowe to a long-term deal and he is their best option for the No. 2 spot.

Lowe was incredible this past season, hitting .260/.331/.493 for an OPS of .824, with 35 home runs, 96 RBI, 29 doubles and 152 hits.

There was no better power-hitting second baseman than Lowe, first in home runs, slugging percentage and OPS, second in RBI and sixth in hits.

Lowe hit second in 122 games this season and was excellent in that role, slashing .263/.337/.512 for an OPS of .849 and 32 home runs.

His power and profile as a hitter make him great for the second spot, and it's imperative that the Pirates bring him back for next season.

No. 3 LF Bryan Reynolds

Reynolds enters his ninth season with the Pirates in 2027 and he'll once again play a big role in their lineup.

He improved from a tough season in 2025 and hit .261/.365/.424 for an OPS of .789, with 155 hits, 40 doubles, 17 home runs, 72 RBI and 89 walks to 162 strikeouts.

Reynolds led all of baseball with 40 doubles, while also setting career highs with 89 walks and 102 runs scored, plus playing all 162 games.

He works well in the third spot, as he has solid power, good contact and walk rates and 70th percentile speed that can get him on-base on a ground ball or even to second base for a double.

Reynolds will need to replicate his pre-All-Star form, .283/.400/.477 for an OPS of .877, following a disappointing showing following it, .229/.312/.347 for an OPS of .659.

He's the Pirates' most reliable player and his bat will play a big role in their quest for the postseason.

No. 4 DH Ryan O'Hearn

The Pirates went big last offseason, signing Ryan O'Hearn to a two-year, $29 million deal, making him their first multi-year free-agent signing since 2016.

O'Hearn was great through the All-Star break for the Pirates, batting .288/.351/.487 for an OPS of .838, 88 hits, 13 doubles, 16 home runs and 63 RBI.

His struggles in the second half were worrisome, batting .198/.268/.297 for an OPS of .565, compounded by a left quad strain that knocked him out 36 games from Aug. 1 to Sept. 10.

O'Hearn should avoid the injuries he had in 2026 as the designated hitter, instead of him playing right field and first base consistently like he did.

His first half should be more indicative of his production for next season, with his 18 home runs in 2026 were the most in his career and his strong contact rate makes him a good person for the cleanup spot.

The Pirates also had a 27-19 record with O'Hearn batting fourth and he should get a shot to do that more consistently again in 2027.

No. 5: CF Oneil Cruz

The Pirates finally got the best out of Oneil Cruz last season, and they'll be encouraged to see what he can do in 2027.

Cruz was excellent in 2026, when healthy, batting .280/.368/.486 for an OPS of .854 in 97 games, with 103 hits, 14 doubles, 20 home runs, 67 RBI and 30 stolen bases.

He dealt with a left-hand fracture that kept him out for 61 games from June 10 to Aug. 17, but still had a great season at the plate and improved drastically from 2025.

Cruz was great against left-handed pitching and was also strong following his injury, even though he wasn't 100%.

The Pirates have many options for Cruz, with his speed, contact and power, but he fits best in the middle of the order.

Cruz has less pressure in this spot, but can still drive in runs and also steal bases with ease.

He hit .318/.437/.565 for an OPS of 1.002 in the fifth spot last year, and the Pirates went 16-8 in those games.

If Cruz can stay healthy, the Pirates have a dark horse candidate for the National League MVP.

No. 6 RF Esmerlyn Valdez

The Pirates finally got to see Esmerlyn Valdez play for them, and he showed exactly why he can hold a spot in the lineup for the foreseeable future.

Valdez hit .232/.345/.510 for an OPS of .855 in 72 games, with 56 hits, 14 doubles, 17 home runs and 47 RBI for a strong rookie season.

He hit 14 home runs in his first 37 games, marking the fourth-most for any player in MLB history that early in his career.

Valdez also struggled in 2026, batting .169/.306/.305 for an OPS of .611 in his last 35 games before suffering a season-ending hamstring injury in September, which also included seven straight games without a hit.

The Pirates see great promise in Valdez, but also understand he needs to adjust better to major-league pitching in 2027.

Putting him sixth, instead of fourth, where he was for most of 2026, will put less pressure on him, but still have him in a power spot.

No. 7 Free Agent 3B/Nick Gonzales

The Pirates should try to improve their lineup next season, and third base is one area where they should do so the most.

Pittsburgh had Nick Gonzales at third base, who was great at the plate, but arguably the worst defensive player at the position as well.

Gonzales hit .303/.367/.388 for an OPS of .755, finishing sixth in MLB in batting average, but also posted -15 DRS and -11 OAA, the worst marks of any third baseman with 850 innings played.

The Pirates could go to the free agent market, or even find a third baseman via trade, such as Houston Astros' Isaac Paredes, who they showed interest in last offseason.

Paredes would cost $13.35 million if the Astros trigger his club option, but that's only slightly higher than what the Pirates paid for designated hitter Marcell Ozuna, $12 million in 2026.

Unlike Ozuna, Paredes had a strong 2026, batting .262/.360/.447 for an OPS of .806, with 28 home runs and 94 RBI.

Paredes isn't a great defensive third baseman, -7 DRS and -2 OAA, but better than Gonzales and with much more power.

The Pirates need another right-handed power bat, and Paredes would work wonders in this lineup if they could add him.

No. 8: C Rafael Flores Jr.

The Pirates have searched for a catcher they can rely on offensively, and Rafael Flores Jr. is someone who has shown he can do that.

Flores hit .264/.331/.527 for an OPS of .858 in 47 games as a rookie, with 39 hits in 148 at-bats, six doubles, 11 home runs and 25 RBI.

He ranked amongst the best hitting catchers the final two months of 2026, third in slugging percentage, fifth in OPS and seventh in batting average, and his 10 home runs tied for third-most.

Flores hit five home runs in eight games in August, including two home runs off the bench in the 4-3 win over the Detroit Tigers at PNC Park on Aug. 19, becoming the first Pirates player to do so in a single game.

Henry Davis will most likely catch Paul Skenes on Opening Day, and is a much better defensive catcher than Flores is now, but there's no doubt Flores was the better hitting catcher and the best option for the Pirates lineup to start next year.

No. 9: 1B Spencer Horwitz

The final spot in the Pirates lineup for 2027 goes to first baseman Spencer Horwitz, who needs to show much more going forward.

Horwitz had a great start to 2026, .280/.386/.455 for an OPS of .841 before the All-Star break, including 40 walks to 40 strikeouts, 10 home runs and 30 RBI.

He then suffered a left hamstring injury in late June and also a concussion on a rehab assignment, which set his return back to Aug. 2.

Horwitz never returned to the hitter he once was, batting an abysmal .180/.263/.201 for an OPS of .464 the rest of the way.

He was the worst hitter in baseball in August, .141/.221/.154 for an OPS of .375, and had the lowest slugging percentage, second-lowest OPS and eighth-lowest batting average from his return until the end of 2026.

The Pirates have moved Horwitz around the lineup before, hitting in six of the nine spots in 2026 and having success in all of them before his injury.

Horwitz probably won't end up the No. 9 hitter, but he needs to prove he can hit the way he once did next season.