Building a consensus: Pirates abuzz about Konnor Griffin being baseball’s No. 1 prospect
Some of the biggest buzz for the Pittsburgh Pirates surrounded a shortstop who was neither in attendance at PiratesFest nor has played a game yet in the major leagues but is being billed as a future superstar. Konnor Griffin became baseball’s consensus No. 1 prospect entering the 2026 season when...
‘Rip the jersey off of me’: Free agent franchise icon Andrew McCutchen lashes out at Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates icon Andrew McCutchen publicly lashed out at his treatment from the franchise Saturday in a late-night social media post in response to comments by general manager Ben Cherington at PiratesFest regarding the free-agent designated hitter’s future. “There’s more work to do and I’m not done, no matter what...
‘A different level of energy’: Pirates fans express excitement amid aggressive offseason
As Travis Williams walked around the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, the Pittsburgh Pirates president found fans to be just as passionate about the baseball club as ever. Just not as angry. A year after PiratesFest was met with protests from fans frustrated with team chairman Bob Nutting’s lack of...
Following bad season with a big chop, Oneil Cruz focuses on fulfilling potential for Pirates
Oneil Cruz had a black beanie pulled tight over his head, trying to conceal his biggest change of an ultra-important offseason for the Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder. The first thing Cruz did upon returning to his native Dominican Republic was to have his barber chop off the shoulder-length dreadlocks he...
Pirates announce schedule changes, player cancellations for PiratesFest due to weather
The Pittsburgh Pirates announced that the anticipation of severe weather this weekend has impacted player appearances and caused a change in the schedule for Saturday’s annual fan festival at David L. Lawrence Convention Center. Among the players who canceled appearances at PiratesFest because of travel concerns are three new acquisitions...
Nick Gonzales switches to No. 3, as Pirates announce jersey numbers for newcomers
Nick Gonzales had misgivings about wearing No. 39 once Dave Parker was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame, and the Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman made his intentions clear to change his jersey number upon Parker’s death last summer. “It just meant a little more playing today with that number,”...
Baseball America ranks Konnor Griffin its No. 1 prospect, as 3 other Pirates make top 100 list
When Baseball America released its top 100 prospects list Wednesday, Konnor Griffin had only strengthened his status as the No. 1 prospect in the game with “an iron grip.” The 6-foot-4, 225-pound shortstop, who shined at three minor league levels, is one of three teenagers and four players in the...
PiratesFest shorter on star power, as Paul Skenes will miss fan event to accept Cy Young
Pittsburgh Pirates fans will get their first glimpse of the team’s newest additions — including former All-Stars Brandon Lowe, Ryan O’Hearn and Gregory Soto — but PiratesFest will be shorter on star power because of notable absences at the annual fan festival this weekend. That includes their biggest draw, as...
MLB Pipeline names Pirates’ Konnor Griffin No. 1 shortstop prospect, with ‘highest ceiling’
Given that Konnor Griffin is considered the consensus No. 1 prospect in baseball, it’s no surprise that the 19-year-old Pittsburgh Pirates farmhand is ranked the top player at his position by MLB Pipeline. But Griffin’s potential for greatness was captured when he was graded at the top of nearly every...
Kevin Gorman: In a Hall of Fame vote centered around center fielders, why Torii Hunter made my ballot
Call me a world-class procrastinator, if you will, or simply someone who performs better under deadline pressure, but I wait until the final day allowed to mail my Baseball Hall of Fame ballot. Baseball Writers Association of America voters are permitted to pick 10 players, so following the elections of...
Top prospect Konnor Griffin among 7 non-roster invitees to Pirates’ big-league camp
The Pittsburgh Pirates announced Friday that Konnor Griffin, the consensus top prospect in baseball, is one of seven non-roster invitees who have been invited to major-league camp for spring training. The 19-year-old Griffin, a 6-foot-4, 225-pound shortstop/center fielder who was the No. 9 overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft,...
Pirates sign top-20 prospect in Dominican shortstop with family ties to Hall of Famer
The Pittsburgh Pirates invested their top international signing bonus in a Dominican teenager who is the nephew of a Hall of Famer and cousin of one of the game’s most prodigious power hitters. The Pirates agreed Thursday to sign 16-year-old shortstop Wilton Guerrero Jr. for $1.95 million, as the top-20...
Pirates single-game tickets for regular season games on sale todayVideo
The Pittsburgh Pirates announced that single-game tickets for regular season home games will go on sale at 10 a.m. Wednesday. Individual game tickets can be purchased online at pirates.com/tickets, by phone at 1-800-BUY-BUCS or at the PNC Park ticket windows. The Pirates play their home opener against the Baltimore Orioles...
Pirates trade reliever Chase Shugart to Phillies for minor league third baseman
The Pittsburgh Pirates acquired a minor league third baseman Francisco Loreto from the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday in exchange for right-handed reliever Chase Shugart. Shugart, who was designated for assignment Friday to make room on the roster for the signing of slugger Ryan O’Hearn, was 4-3 with a 3.40 ERA,...
Dave Giusti, star closer for Pirates’ 1971 World Series champions, dies at age 86
When Dave Giusti was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates, his intention was to pitch in the starting rotation. Instead, he became one of baseball’s most valuable closers and a key component of a World Series champion. Giusti led all major-league pitchers in saves (127) from 1970-75, when he earned an...
Pirates to start season on national TV, as opener at Mets to be broadcast by NBC
The Pittsburgh Pirates will start the season on national television, as their Opening Day matinee at the New York Mets will be broadcast on NBC and Peacock. The 1 p.m. game is expected to involve a showdown between 2025 National League Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes of the Pirates...
‘There’s more we want to do’: Pirates GM Ben Cherington ‘not satisfied,’ expects more moves
After the Pittsburgh Pirates signed Ryan O’Hearn to their first multi-year free agent contract in almost a decade, Ben Cherington said it was a “different feeling” to be a spender this offseason. The Pirates general manager has signed left-handed reliever Gregory Soto to a one-year, $7.75 million deal, acquired a...
‘We’ve got to believe’: Pirates sign All-Star slugger Ryan O’Hearn, who touts playoff talk
Ryan O’Hearn couldn’t contain his excitement to join the Pittsburgh Pirates, believing that with a pitching staff led by a generational talent such as National League Cy Young winner Paul Skenes, they were only one or two pieces away from being a legitimate postseason contender. And O’Hearn is big on...
Pirates avoid arbitration with 4 players, as Oneil Cruz, Dennis Santana earn big raises
The Pittsburgh Pirates avoided arbitration with four players Thursday, signing catcher Joey Bart, center fielder Oneil Cruz and right-handed relievers Justin Lawrence and Dennis Santana to one-year contracts. Cruz received the biggest raise. After making $785,000 last season, he signed for $3.4 million in 2026. That’s $200,000 less than MLBTradeRumors.com’s...
New outfielder Jake Mangum ready to make an immediate impression on Pirates, fan base
Jake Mangum blames his family’s football mentality for his aggressive approach at the plate, where he has a well-earned reputation for swinging at nearly every pitch within six inches of the strike zone. Mangum’s father, uncle and grandfather all played professional football, so after making his major-league debut as a...
Pirates plan to tap Mason Montgomery’s potential as lefty flamethrower thrives in relief
A move from the starting rotation to the bullpen reignited Mason Montgomery’s career, serving as a flip of the switch on a pitch that turned the 25-year-old left-hander into a dangerous pitcher. Montgomery was struggling as a starter at Triple-A Durham in 2024 when the Tampa Bay Rays turned him...
Pirates 2025 in review: Season ranged from fan frustrations and off-the-field fiascos to Cy Young triumph
To suggest the Pittsburgh Pirates started the 2025 season on the wrong foot is putting it mildly. This one appeared doomed long before they ever played a game at PNC Park. Fans furious over the franchise’s failure to pump up one of the lowest payrolls in the major leagues bought...
Pirates add another slugger by signing Ryan O’Hearn to 2-year, $29 million free agent deal
The Pittsburgh Pirates were seeking to add another power bat to their lineup, preferably one who could fill a corner infield or outfield spot or serve as a designated hitter. They got all three in Ryan O’Hearn. O’Hearn, a 2025 All-Star who is a middle-of-the-order bat and can play first...
‘A good fit’: Newly acquired Pirates 2B Brandon Lowe excited about hitting at PNC Park
Brandon Lowe was still processing the idea of playing for a major-league team other than the Tampa Bay Rays after being traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates when it was suggested that PNC Park suits his profile. It didn’t take long for the two-time All-Star second baseman, a left-handed hitter who...
Atop AFC special teams voting, Steelers WR Ben Skowronek gunning for Pro Bowl Games
Ben Skowronek has personified for the Pittsburgh Steelers the mentality of being a football player first and wide receiver second by developing into someone valued as much for his tackling as his catching. Skowronek’s play hasn’t gone unnoticed by fans, as he led AFC voting for special teamers for the...
