Pirates starter Jared Jones' July surge has made him a weapon in the rotation

Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Jared Jones. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Pirates starter Jared Jones' July surge has made him a weapon in the rotation

By Vanessa Serrao | Last updated Jul 25, 2026 11:46 AM ET

Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Jared Jones' performance has surged in July, and he has become a dominant weapon in the rotation.

Across the 24-year-old's last four starts, he has boasted a 1.29 ERA with 28 strikeouts and has only given up three earned runs (one home run) with a 0.52 WHIP across 21 innings pitched.

The youngster returned to the rotation on May 29 after recovering from a right UCL injury that sidelined him all last season. While he had a rocky performance in June sporting a 5.76 ERA, he has regained his confidence and returned to form.

He has been dealing for the Pirates, and he has been mixing his slider in more often (27.2% usage rate), and his four-seam fastball has topped out at 101 mph.

Jared Jones in 4 starts this month:

21 IP | 3 ER (1.29 ERA) | 0.52 WHIP | 4 BB | 28 K

The 24-year-old has been DEALING! ‍☠️ pic.twitter.com/vvBAy2bPVJ
— Just Baseball (@JustBB_Media) July 25, 2026

The key to Jared Jones' success in July

Jones has been a stud on the mound in the Pirates' rotation recently, as he retired 30 straight batters from July 2 to July 18. Jones became only the third pitcher in Pirates history in the past 70 years to achieve the milestone.

Nothing screams dominance more than pitching scoreless innings. On July 8 against the Atlanta Braves, he pitched six scoreless innings, the Pirates blew it late in the 3-0 loss.

Jones also recorded a season-high nine strikeouts in a 7-1 victory over the Cleveland Guardians in Game 1 of a doubleheader on July 18. In his most recent performance against the Chicago Cubs on July 24, he pitched six solid innings, giving up only one run, but the Pirates fell short in a 3-2 loss.

Despite not getting run support from the Pirates he has continued to perform at an elite level. Teammate Jake Magnum commented on his dominant performance against the Cubs stating, ''I wish we scored more runs for him; he looked electric... I think he's gonna be good for a long time.''

Jake Mangum on Jared Jones' outing: I wish we scored more runs for him; he looked electric... I think he's gonna be good for a long time.

On the loss: "This league will eat you alive if you get too emotional night in, night out. Yeah, we're frustrated, but we've got a job to do… pic.twitter.com/e3azO6tjlA
— SportsNet Pittsburgh (@SNPittsburgh) July 25, 2026

Vanessa Serrao

Serrao is a freelance baseball writer who has covered all MLB teams, with particular expertise on the Toronto Blue Jays. She is a member of the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America.

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