Kevin Gorman stories, Page 51
Pirates’ Andrew McCutchen shakes off All-Star snub, hopes to have strong 2nd half
On the eighth anniversary of his All-Star Game home run, Andrew McCutchen was in no mood to reminisce Friday afternoon about playing in the Midsummer Classic. Asked what he remembers about his solo shot off the American League’s Chris Archer to lead off the sixth inning to join Ralph Kiner,...
Led by No. 1 pick Paul Skenes, 5 Pirates in Baseball America’s Top 100 prospects rankings
The Pittsburgh Pirates have five players in Baseball America’s new Top 100 Prospects list, including two new additions. The Pirates’ new top prospect is Paul Skenes, the LSU right-hander selected with the No. 1 overall pick of the 2023 MLB Draft. Skenes is ranked sixth by Baseball America, behind Cincinnati...
Pirates transfer struggling pitcher Roansy Contreras to Florida Complex League
The Pittsburgh Pirates transferred the option of struggling right-handed pitcher Roansy Contreras from Triple-A Indianapolis to their Florida Complex League team. After going 5-5 with a 3.79 ERA and 1.27 WHIP in 21 games, including 18 starts, last season, the 23-year-old Contreras entered the season expected to be one of...
Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: Start to 2nd half should answer key questions for the Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates open the second half of the season Friday with more questions than answers, especially after winning 20 of their first 30 games followed by winning only 21 of the next 60. Let’s start with this: Was April an anomaly? If so, is another late-season collapse inevitable? When...
Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: Starting with Paul Skenes, Pirates went all in on drafting pitchers
After the Pittsburgh Pirates won the inaugural lottery for the No.1 overall pick in the MLB Draft, general manager Ben Cherington intentionally decided not to see any of the top prospects play live. “That was because I don’t trust myself to not bring bias into the room when I do...
Pirates’ Mitch Keller gives up home run, records strikeout in All-Star debut
In an All-Star Game defined by a pair of catches at the wall in the first inning, Mitch Keller had no such luck. The Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander gave up the game’s first run on a solo homer by Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Yandy Diaz to give the American League...
‘Take what the draft gives you’: Pirates continue run on college players in MLB Draft
When the Pittsburgh Pirates owned the No. 1 overall pick in 2021, they employed a strategy to sign Louisville catcher Henry Davis to a below-slot bonus and used the savings to entice four top-100 prep prospects to bypass college scholarships with over-slot bonuses. This year, after the Pirates selected LSU...
2nd-day draft picks are sign Pirates could be pooling bonus money to entice prep prospect
Leading up to the MLB Draft, there was speculation that the Pittsburgh Pirates would bypass the top two prospects in favor of someone who would sign a below-slot bonus so they could spread their savings. That’s a strategy Pirates general manager Ben Cherington employed with the No. 1 overall pick...
Pirates load up on college players on 2nd day of MLB Draft with 1st baseman, 7 pitchers
When the Pittsburgh Pirates made a run on college pitchers by selecting seven consecutive on the second day of the MLB Draft, it was influenced by their scouting and the success of a 2022 pick. Call it the J.P. Massey Effect. The Pirates took Massey out of Minnesota in the...
Pirates pick Vanderbilt right-handed reliever Patrick Reilly in 5th round of MLB Draft
The Pittsburgh Pirates selected Vanderbilt right-hander Patrick Reilly in the fifth round of the MLB Draft on Monday, adding a reliever with high strikeout and walk numbers. The 6-foot-3, 215-pound Reilly made 14 career starts for the Commodores but pitched mostly out of the bullpen, averaging 11.7 strikeouts and 5.8...
Pirates pick WVU right-hander Carlson Reed in 4th round of MLB Draft
The Pittsburgh Pirates selected West Virginia right-hander Carlson Reed in the fourth round of the MLB Draft on Monday afternoon, adding a pitcher who has been both a starter and a closer in his college career. The 6-foot-4, 200-pound Reed has a three-pitch mix featuring a mid-80s changeup, a slider...
Pirates pick Oregon State first baseman Garret Forrester in 3rd round
The Pittsburgh Pirates selected Oregon State first baseman Garret Forrester in the third round of the MLB Draft, adding a slugger at a position of need in their system. The 6-foot-1, 208-pound Forrester batted .341/.485/.522 with 12 doubles, 10 home runs and 52 RBIs in 61 games for the Beavers...
How putting down his bat helped Paul Skenes become Pirates’ No. 1 overall pick
Paul Skenes already was college baseball’s best two-way player when he made what he calls the hardest decision of his life, leaving the U.S. Air Force Academy to transfer to SEC powerhouse LSU. Skenes concentrated on pitching, and the 6-foot-6½, 260-pound right-hander delivered one of the most dominant seasons in...
Pirates add Michigan State SS Mitch Jebb, prep RHP Zander Mueth with 2nd, 3rd picks in MLB Draft
The Pittsburgh Pirates selected Michigan State shortstop Mitch Jebb in the second round of the MLB Draft on Sunday night in Seattle. Jebb, 21, batted .337/.438/.495 with 15 doubles, seven triples, one home run and 36 RBIs this past season for the Spartans. He also shined in the wood-bat Cape...
Pirates select LSU pitcher Paul Skenes with No. 1 overall pick in MLB Draft
That Paul Skenes possessed a special mix of pitches was obvious, as the LSU right-hander relied on a triple-digit fastball and wicked slider to dominate college baseball in a way few others have ever done. What impressed the Pittsburgh Pirates was the combination of character off the field and competitiveness...
Pirates opt for LSU pitcher Paul Skenes over outfielder Dylan Crews with MLB Draft’s top pick
The Pittsburgh Pirates owned the first overall selection in the MLB Draft for the sixth time in franchise history, giving them the rare opportunity to have their pick of baseball’s best prospects. The Pirates took the advice of LSU coach Jay Johnson, who suggested to MLB Network that they pick...
Pirates squander Mitch Keller’s 7 scoreless innings as Diamondbacks get walk-off win
For almost six innings, Mitch Keller was unhittable. For seven innings, the All-Star right-hander held the Arizona Diamondbacks scoreless. What Keller started, the Pittsburgh Pirates couldn’t finish. The Diamondbacks tied the score on an Alek Thomas solo home run in the eighth inning, and Corbin Carroll hit a bases-loaded single...
With No. 1 choice, Pirates can take best prospect or spread wealth
For the sixth time in franchise history, the Pittsburgh Pirates have the opportunity to select the best prospect in baseball with the first overall pick in the MLB Draft. Whether they will do so remains to be seen. With a deep draft class where LSU teammates Dylan Crews and Paul...
‘They’re all 1/1 worthy’: A look at 5 prospects the Pirates could select with No. 1 overall pick
After winning the inaugural lottery, the Pittsburgh Pirates have the No. 1 overall choice in the MLB Draft for the sixth time in franchise history and the chance to take a future impact player. The question is whether that will be on the mound or in the outfield. Talent evaluators...
Q&A with Greg Amsinger, studio host of MLB Network’s MLB Draft coverage
Greg Amsinger, who will host the MLB Draft for the 15th year on MLB Network, shared his thoughts with the Tribune-Review on the evolution of the event, his favorite draft-day stories, the top prospects in the Class of 2023 and which player he believes the Pirates will select with the...
Pirates slugger Jack Suwinski leans upon foundation built by response to slumpVideo
When Jack Suwinski endured an 0-for-29 slump last year, the Pittsburgh Pirates slugger couldn’t swing his way out of it and ultimately drew a demotion to Triple-A Indianapolis. Amid another 0-for-29 funk this season, Suwinski had something to draw upon. He turned to a foundation built last season, improved during...
Pirates rookie Nick Gonzales showcases power, ability to do damage in 1st homestand
Nick Gonzales has all of nine major league games under his belt, but the Pittsburgh Pirates rookie learned an important lesson in the difference between pitching in the majors and the minors. “You have to hit the mistakes,” Gonzales said. “You get a good pitch to hit, you have to...
Pirates pitcher Mitch Keller ‘really excited’ to be selected to All-Star Game for 1st time
Mitch Keller had put the possibility of being selected to the All-Star Game in the far reaches of his mind, focusing instead on allowing his hard work and execution to take care of the process. After learning Sunday that he was chosen for his first All-Star Game, the Pittsburgh Pirates...
Brewers take advantage of Pirates’ mishaps to clinch series win
This was one of those games where Rich Hill left with regrets, especially a three-batter sequence after the Pittsburgh Pirates spotted their starter a two-run lead against the Milwaukee Brewers. Hill hit one batter with a pitch, walked another and fell behind in the count against William Contreras before serving...
Pirates reinstate Bryan Reynolds, place Ji Hwan Bae on 10-day injured list
Bryan Reynolds is back. Ji Hwan Bae is out. The Pittsburgh Pirates reinstated Reynolds on Sunday and placed Bae on the 10-day injured list with a left ankle sprain, an injury sustained in Saturday’s game against the Milwaukee Brewers. Reynolds has been out since June 20 with low back inflammation....
