PITTSBURGH – Baseball is, if nothing else, a cyclical game. What goes up must eventually come down, and struggling units will almost surely get going for at least a bit of time. And while the way the Pirates started the year offensively may have seemed to test that baseball truism,

PITTSBURGH -- Coming into the year, the question was whether Henry Davis would play well enough behind the plate to justify keeping his bat in the lineup. It turned out that it was the opposite. His defense was greatly improved, but he wasn’t hitting. The Pirates optioned him to Triple-A

PITTSBURGH -- For the second straight game, the Pirates had a solid pathway to a win, getting a quality start from a rookie starter and a grand slam on offense. And again, they lost, this time squandering six strong innings from No. 2 overall prospect Paul Skenes with another bullpen

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PITTSBURGH – On Tuesday, the Pirates completed a large rally in the ninth with the aid of a defensive miscue and some timely hitting against a shaky bullpen to beat the Giants in extra innings. On Wednesday, they returned the favor. A short-manned bullpen could not hold a late lead,

Our latest Starting Pitcher Power Rankings voting featured a battle between three sensational southpaws, each with a viable claim on the top spot but wildly different paths to this point. Our MLB.com panel had to weigh the relative merits of the Cubs’ Shota Imanaga, who has made a triumphant transition

At the start of every season, teams may think they have a good idea of who their best hitters are going to be. But each year brings its share of surprises. With the end of May approaching, a number of players have emerged as unexpected hitting stars for their clubs,

This story was excerpted from Alex Stumpf’s Pirates Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

The 2019 Draft wasn’t one filled with a ton of suspense. It was widely accepted that the Orioles would take Oregon State catcher Adley Rutschman – one of the Draft’s best-ever backstops – first overall, and that’s precisely what Mike Elias & Co. did on June 3. Bobby Witt Jr.

PITTSBURGH – Being a closer in the bullpen in the bottom of the ninth is a bit of a tightrope walk. With the Pirates down four in the final frame, the odds David Bednar was going to be needed that night were pretty low, but he has to be ready

PITTSBURGH -- When Oneil Cruz dropped a fly ball in the first inning Tuesday at PNC Park, the Giants could not have possibly known that they had awakened a sleeping giant. “I was really pissed off when I went to hit,” Cruz said through interpreter and Major League coach Stephen

The Pirates Hall of Fame was established in 2022 to honor individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the success of the franchise, and on Tuesday the team announced the third class of inductees. It includes Jim Leyland, who guided Pittsburgh to three straight playoff appearances in the early 1990s;

There's been a lot of fluctuation on the rookie front in the past 30 days or so. Not all of the Top 100 prospect debuts made some noise, and as a result, some others with more notable performances over the last four weeks played themselves back into contention for the

It was 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, roughly 10 hours before the Pirates were scheduled to host the San Francisco Giants in the opening game of a three-game series and six-game homestand, but PNC Park was already a festive place. Why? Because the Pirates and Pirates Charities were hosting opening ceremonies

On the field, Minor League Baseball is all about the future: See tomorrow’s stars, today. This forward-looking mentality is often combined with ballpark celebrations of past eras, via salutes to defunct teams, retired players and beloved pop culture properties. Jump in the way-back machine and join us as we explore

CHICAGO -- There has been many a time in recent years where the Pirates were quiet postgame in Wrigley Field’s visitors’ clubhouse. Not Sunday, though. Nor Thursday or Friday. In what was their biggest road series so far this season, the Pirates left Chicago with a series win, taking a

CHICAGO -- In a game of dueling, dealing southpaws, it seemed almost destined that the matchup between the Pirates and Cubs at Wrigley Field on Saturday afternoon was going to come down to one big hit or defensive play. The Pirates thought they had the latter in the bottom of

This story was excerpted from Alex Stumpf’s Pirates Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

CHICAGO -- While most of the baseball world was in awe of Paul Skenes’ Major League debut last Saturday, Yasmani Grandal had seen him pitch better when he was on his rehab assignment with Triple-A Indianapolis. Sure, seven strikeouts and 17 triple-digit fastballs was eye-opening, but he felt the rookie

Just two starts into his MLB career, Pirates phenom Paul Skenes is already making history. Skenes, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 Draft and MLB Pipeline’s current No. 2 overall prospect, was electric Friday afternoon against the Cubs at Wrigley Field in his second career start. The flamethrowing

CHICAGO -- Jared Jones didn’t catch much of what Yasmani Grandal was telling him in the sixth inning at Wrigley Field on Thursday night. His fastball wasn’t playing like it normally was, so he was leaning heavily on his slider. The veteran catcher didn’t like how the pitch was looking

Armed Forces Weekend has a particularly special meaning for Pirates phenom Paul Skenes, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft and MLB Pipeline’s No. 2 overall prospect. Before deciding to follow his baseball dreams at LSU, Skenes was on a path toward a military career, attending the

If Paul Skenes' big league debut last weekend was any indication -- the seven strikeouts in four innings, the triple-digit heat, the wipeout secondary pitches -- there are some dominant games in the tank for baseball's top pitching prospect. The Pirates' 21-year-old right-hander makes start No. 2 on Friday at

Paul Skenes' Major League debut, which came less than a year after he was selected first overall by the Pirates in the 2023 Draft, showcased why he is the top pitching prospect in baseball. The right-hander used his triple-digit fastball, mid-80s slider and electric splinker to strike out seven Cubs