With new All-Star talent and impact bats, the Pirates' manager anticipates a potent offense ready to compete and win.
A lot of times last season, rookie Pittsburgh Pirates manager Don Kelly did not have enough legitimate major league hitters to fill his lineup card.
Kelly never complained and wrote nine names on the card every day, regardless. However, the statistics told the story as the Pirates finished last in the major leagues in runs scored, home runs, and OPS. They also finished in last place in the National League Central.
The Pirates should field a more potent lineup this year following a busy winter by general manager Ben Cherington.
Two left-handed hitters who were selected to last season’s All-Star Game have been added, with first baseman/outfielder Ryan O’Hearn being signed as a free agent and second baseman Brandon Lowe being acquired in a trade. The Pirates also got switch-hitting outfielder Jake Mangum from the Rays and traded for Boston Red Sox outfield prospect Jhonstynxon Garcia.
The additions should also aid a pitching staff that finished seventh in the big leagues in ERA despite the Pirates’ record being 20 games under .500 at 71-91. The prospect of giving the staff more run support makes Kelly happy.
“Just really excited about the pieces that we've added, and we're going to win,” Kelly said. “And that's the part that excites me, is having the pitching staff that we have, playing good defense, adding some impact bats to the lineup, and just being able to compete for that every single day. And I think that we've done a really good job.”
The top five of the batting order could include, in some order: Lowe, O’Hearn, first baseman Spencer Horwitz, center fielder Oneil Cruz, and right fielder Bryan Reynolds. That should be a good start, though Cherington would like to add more depth to the lineup with one more proven major league hitter.
On paper or a computer screen, the Pirates look like they will score more runs in 2026. Kelly knows, though, that what his hitters do when they are in the batter’s box is what matters.
“We can all sit and look at computers and projections and everything,” Kelly said. “The one thing I've learned is we've got to go do it out on the field, and we've got to work every day, outwork the other teams. Outwork, to go out there and out compete and ultimately outscore and find a way to win baseball games, and I think doing it out on the field and adding the guys that we added, coupled with the guys that are going to be coming back with our pitching staff, just really excited about ’26.”