Nine Pittsburgh Pirates will take part in their first major-league opener.
It has been a while since a Pittsburgh Pirates’ opener has sparked this much interest.
The Pirates face the New York Mets on Thursday at Citi Field to launch the regular season. Few events rival the significance of opening day in New York.
Paul Skenes starts for Pittsburgh. He is the first Pirates pitcher since Doug Drabek in 1991 to take the mound as the reigning National League Cy Young Award winner.
The game will air on NBC, marking its first Major League Baseball broadcast since 2000 and giving the Pirates rare national exposure. This is the first time this decade that Pittsburgh has a strong chance at a winning season and a possible postseason berth.
Opening day will be extra special to more than one-third of the roster. Nine Pirates will be taking part in their first big-league opener: starting pitchers Braxton Ashcraft and Bubba Chandler, left-handed relievers Hunter Barco and Mason Montgomery, right-handed reliever Issac Mattson, first baseman Spencer Horwitz, infielder/outfielder Nick Yorke, outfielder Jake Mangum, and outfielder/first baseman Billy Cook.
Barco, Chandler, Cook, and Yorke are rookies. However, they have at least some service time in the major leagues.
General manager Ben Cherington, who finalized the season-opening roster, was clearly surprised when reporters noted the nine first-timers. This is a significant number, especially since the Pirates have ended their long-running rebuilding this season.
The Pirates made a focused effort to improve during the offseason. They finished 71-91, last in the National League Central in 2025, marking their 29th losing season in the past 33 years.
Despite this, anticipation will fill the clubhouse on Thursday as so many players experience their first major league opening day.
“The numbers, sort of higher than I anticipated, given that a lot of them have actually had quite a bit of major league experience or were in the big leagues, were on the team last year,” Cherington told reporters on the last day of spring training in Bradenton, Fla. “But opening day is opening day. It's a different thing and really exciting.
“I think every one of them earned it, deserves it. They have a specific role on the team that they're equipped for. And it'll be a nice moment for them on opening day in New York City.”
Pirates Roundtable also offers a fan community and message board. We’d love to have you join us to talk all things Pirates. Click the “Join” button at the top of the page to join our community for free.