What Pirates Are Getting in Tyler Callihan

He didn't play the rest of the season, but he showed in that instance great dedication to making the play, even with the risk.

Callihan will hopefully have opportunities to show his defense, without serious injury being a concern each time he goes out there.

An Intriguing Left-Handed Bat

The Pirates went and added left-handed power bats this offseason, signing free agent Ryan O'Hearn and traded for Tampa Bay Rays second baseman Brandon Lowe, so making another left-handed bat in Callihan makes sense.

Callihan isn't really a power bat, with just 37 home runs in his six minor league seasons, but he does have some interesting advanced stats that make him a solid addition to the lineup if the Pirates need him.

He had a strong wOBA (Weight On-Base Average) of .400 at Triple-A Louisville in 2025, plus a high PullAir% of 24.6%, which measures the percentage of hits that go to the pull-side and aren't ground balls.

PNC Park is good for left-handed power bats because right field is closer, even with the 21 foot high wall in honor of Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente.

Callihan could benefit from PNC Park and get some extra power stats in the ball park, if he gets the chance to do so.

His strikeout rate is a tad high, 27.3% in 2024 and 25.5% in 2023, something he'll need to keep down, but his walk rate was strong last season at 15.1%, which he'll need to continue.

Callihan has been a solid hitter during his minor league career, slashing .262/.332/.417 for an OPS of .749 in 396 games, which bodes well for him adjusting to major league pitching.

His time at Triple-A has been even better, slashing .311/.432/.553 for an OPS of .985 over 28 games the past two seasons.

Another Utility Option

The Pirates could always use a utility player and they're generally the type that the fans love, particularly with the likes of Josh Harrison and Sean Rodriguez in the 2010s.

Jared Triolo, a Gold Glove Award winner as a utility man, will most likely serve as the every day starting third baseman, so there's opportunities elsewhere for players to get that orle.

Nick Yorke is a Pirates prospect that has performed well in Spring Training and played numerous roles so far, which could put him in competition with Callihan.

The Pirates need extra help at third base and left field, so Callihan will have to show the Pirates he can provide that type of defensive help and production from the plate they are looking for.

Other Important Notes

• Callihan spent his entire professional career with the Reds, after they took him in the third round of the 2019 MLB Draft out of Providence School of Jacksonville in Jacksonville, Fla. He chose this route over his commitment to South Carolina.

• MLB Pipeline and Baseball America ranked him as the 19th overall prospect in the Reds system before he got traded.

• Callihan also dealt with a season-ending injury in 2021 after just 20 games at Single-A Daytona, tearing his UCL after he dove for a ground ball and then threw it, which resulted in him undergoing Tommy John surgery.

• Other injuries Callihan sustained include totaling his truck in 2022, which tore his UCL in his thumb, putting him out for two-three months, then broke a finger bunting in 2024, keeping him out for two months.