Pirates' Perfect 2027 Opening Day Starting Rotation

His most recent Opening Day start was a terrible outing, giving up five runs and not making it out of the first inning against the New York Mets at Citi Field on March 26.

Skenes ended up having a tougher 2026 season than expected, finishing with a 10-11 record in 32 starts, a 3.82 ERA over 174.1 innings pitched, 200 strikeouts to 49 walks, a .227 BAA and a 1.12 WHIP.

It was especially difficult mid-May onwards, posting a 4-9 record in 23 starts and a 4.56 ERA.

Skenes had velocity issues, not establishing his offspeed stuff and mechanical problems too in 2026.

He'll have this offseason to work on those issues and should take the mound for Opening Day once again.

No. 2: RHP Braxton Ashcraft

The best Pirates starting pitcher in 2026 was none other than Ashcraft, marking his first full season in an MLB rotation.

Ashcraft posted a 14-6 record in 28 starts this season, a 3.65 ERA over 165.1 innings pitched, 173 strikeouts to 35 walks, a .235 BAA and a 1.09 WHIP.

He also earned his first All-Star nod, thanks to a great May, where he posted a 4-0 record in six starts, with a 1.99 ERA over 40.2 innings pitched, 42 strikeouts to five walks, a .221 BAA and a 0.93 WHIP.

Ashcraft had some struggles in June and July, but bounced back in August with two of his best starts of the season.

He threw his first complete game against the Miami Marlins at loanDepot Park on Aug. 13, 10 strikeouts on 85 strikeouts, for one of the most effective games in recent MLB history.

Ashcraft followed that up with an eight-inning, 80-pitch performance against the Detroit Tigers, a 4-1 win at PNC Park on Aug. 18, showing he can go deep with efficiency more than just in one start.

The Pirates shut Ashcraft down in mid-September after experiencing right-side discomfort, but nothing serious came of it, and he should be ready to man the No. 2 spot in 2027.

No. 3: RHP Jared Jones

The Pirates finally got Jones back after more than a year out following internal brace surgery.

Jones made his season debut on May 29 and he stayed in the Pirates' rotation for the final four months of the season.

He posted a 5-6 record in 21 starts, a 3.72 ERA over 101.2 innings pitched, 123 strikeouts to 31 walks, a .209 BAA and a 1.08 WHIP.

Jones had some struggles, such as his first month back and August, when he was one of the worst pitchers in baseball.

He was also dominant in July, posting an MLB-best .120 BAA and a 0.63 WHIP, and again in September, where he won National League Pitcher of the Month honors.

Jones had excellent starts in September, taking a no-hitter into the seventh inning against the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field on Sept. 10 and a perfect game into the sixth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at PNC Park on Sept. 22, both 2-0 victories.

2027 is a pivotal year for Jones, who has the stuff to really become the next Pirates ace.

If he can stay healthy, excel with his pitch mix, and get off to a strong start, he could find himself in NL Cy Young talks.

No. 4 RHP Mitch Keller

The construction of this "perfect" Pirates Opening Day rotation is based on profile and what exactly each pitcher brings to the future.

Keller had a tough 2026 and missed the final two months with a season-ending right arm teres major muscle injury.

He posted a 6-8 record in 22 starts, a 5.29 ERA over 115.2 innings pitched, 89 strikeouts to 42 walks, a .259 BAA and a 1.37 WHIP.

It was his worst season since 2021 and his struggles put a strain on the Pirates bullpen in 2026.

Keller is someone the Pirates usually rely on to take on a heavy-innings workload, especially with his lack of injury history before this season.

Putting him in fourth, especially after Jones, is a good way of giving the bullpen some rest, especially if Keller is pitching well.

This next season is also a big one for Keller, who is in the fourth year of his five-year, $77 million extension.

Keller is the veteran of this group and needs to pitch like it next season to help the Pirates finally end their postseason drought.

No. 5 RHP Bubba Chandler

Chandler, like Ashcraft, went through his first full season in the Pirates' rotation in 2026, but with less experience than his teammate.

It was a season of inconsistency for Chandler, who finished with an 8-10 record, a 4.50 ERA over 154.0 innings pitched, 140 strikeouts to 80 walks, a .234 BAA and a 1.40 WHIP.

Chandler's lack of command hurt him at times, issuing the third-most walks in baseball and the highest-BB/9 (4.68), for pitchers with at least 150 innings thrown.

There were some encouraging parts about Chandler's season, like reducing his walks in the second half and having a strong August.

Chandler added a sinker to his pitch arsenal and matured throughout the 2026 season, preparing him for a strong campaign in 2027.