PIRATES

The offseason has been quiet for Ben Cherington and the Pirates' front office. They haven't done much to improve the roster besides a few additions via free agency and trades. So, as spring training approaches and the team heads to Bradenton, Fla, there are questions that need to be answered. 

That being said, welcome to the seventh edition of our 2025 positional previews. I've already previewed the infield and outfield, which can be found in the feed below, and will finish with the bullpen on Monday. We'll look at what players are in the hunt for playing time, take a look back at what happened in 2024 and what the outlook is for 2025. Hope you enjoy it.

• Position: Starting rotation

• Players: Paul Skenes, Jared Jones, Mitch Keller, Bailey Falter, Johan Oviedo, Bubba Chandler, Braxton Ashcraft, Thomas Harrington, Mike Burrows

• 2024 review: Led by Paul Skenes and Jared Jones, 2024 was a coming out party for the young pitching depth the Pirates have put together. Jones made the big-league roster out of camp and Skenes took Major League Baseball by storm after making his debut on May 11. But, the rotation also included veteran Mitch Keller, after signing a five-year, $77 million extension, Bailey Falter, Marco Gonzales, Martín Perez and Luis L. Ortiz.

Skenes' arrival as one of the best pitchers in baseball was the story of the season. He made 23 starts and went 11-3 along with starting the All-Star game for the National League, winning the NL Rookie of the Year Award and finishing third in the NL Cy Young race. In 133 innings, he recorded a 1.96 ERA with 170 strikeouts and a .947 WHIP. He also limited opposing hitters to a .198 batting average with a pitch arsenal that included a 98.8 mph fastball that often reached triple digits and a deadly "splinker" that produced a 29.3% whiff rate.

Also, of the starts Skenes pitched five innings or more, seven were one run games. He received a win in two of those starts, a loss in one and a no decision in four, which showed the lack of support he had at times.

Despite suffering a right lat strain that sidelined him for almost two months, Jones had a decent rookie year. He used a 97 mph fastball and a mixture of three other pitches (slider, curveball, changeup) to produce a 4.14 ERA and 132 strikeouts over 121 2/3 innings. He also walked 39 batters, the fourth-highest amount on the team despite having the fifth-lowest workload among starters, and gave up 18 home runs, which trailed only Keller. 

Keller put together a similar year to what he has produced in the past and finished with a 4.25 ERA. He threw 178 innings and recorded 166 strikeouts and 55 walks. However, he faltered late in the year as he has done throughout his career. 

In August and September, Keller had three outings where he allowed seven earned runs or more and recorded ERAs of 6.75 and 6.66, respectively. He also only recorded one win over that span and four appearances of four innings or less. Compare that to the 1.30 ERA he produced in May and the 2.35 ERA he built in June. 

Falter and Ortiz were decent options at the bottom of the rotation. While producing a 4.43 ERA, Falter recorded the second-most innings (142 1/3) on the team and made the second-most starts. With a fastball that sat around 92 mph, he relied on off-speed pitches to keep hitters off balance, but struggled with his curveball at times.

Ortiz started the year as a reliever and eventually became the fifth starter when injuries started to mount. He made 37 appearances, started 15 games and finished with a 3.32 ERA over 135 2/3 innings. He put together a few special outings, including a seven-inning, three-hit gem in a 4-1 win over the Phillies on July 20. 

Martín Pérez, Marco Gonzales and a few others started games as well but Perez was dealt near the deadline and Gonzales suffered a left forearm strain that limited him to just seven starts. 

• 2025 outlook: An underwhelming offseason by the Pirates' front office has overshadowed the franchise's young pitching staff and the prospects that accompany it. Skenes, Jones and Keller create a special foundation and the potential for prospects like Bubba Chandler to have an impact at the major-league level add to it. But, it hasn't necessarily created the excitement that it would if it was paired with an average lineup. Still, the pitching talent in place is nothing to overlook. 

While it's only his second year in the majors, Skenes is set to take another step forward, not just on the field, but with how he manages himself in the clubhouse. He was the best player and garnered the most attention last season, but as a rookie it wasn't his place to speak up when the team was sliding.

When speaking with media at PiratesFest last month, Skenes mentioned how he spoke with a few players in the offseason that have been a part of winning teams and asked what their clubhouses were like to get a better feel of how he should approach it. He's still figuring out how that advice will translate to Pittsburgh.

"I don't know what the character of that will be but I'll have probably a little more say so and obviously having established myself a little bit, but there's still a long way to go," Skenes said. "I'm not going to overstep but winning is winning. We've got to do what we've got to do to make it happen."

As far as how he'll balance that, Skenes said: "I'm just going to listen to my gut." 

That alone could go a long way. It's something the franchise has lacked in recent years and Skenes filling that void could create a culture where players and coaches are held accountable when it's needed. 

This pitching staff is also set to adopt an aggressive mindset. With how hard they throw, Skenes and Jones both talked about going after hitters, and if you add Chandler into that mix: "That’s a lot of fastballs. It will be fun," Jones said. 

Keller and Jones will fill those No. 2 and No. 3 starter roles while Falter will slide in at No. 4. That fifth starter role will be won in spring training.

Johan Oviedo missed all of last season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in December of 2023. He's in position to return after making 32 starts in 2023. He produced a 4.31 ERA over 177 2/3 innings while also pitching one shutout and striking out 158 batters. This is also where Chandler could factor in. 

With how he has developed over the past year, Chandler could replicate Jones' path from a year ago. At just 22 he had a lot of success in the minors. He made 16 starts at Class AA Altoona before being promoted to Class AAA Indianapolis, where he went 4-0, recorded a 1.83 ERA and struck out 54 batters in 39 1/3 innings. Continuing that type of progression in spring training, would allow him to make his case for an Opening Day roster spot. 

Falter and Oviedo could be solid pieces at the beginning of the year and Chandler could round it out at some point but Braxton Ashcraft, Thomas Harrington and Mike Burrows are others who could be called upon.

Ashcraft hasn't made his MLB debut yet, but he's currently on the 40-man roster and is one of Pittsburgh's Top 5 prospects. Harrington received a non-roster invite to spring training and is coming off a strong season in the minors where he produced a 2.61 ERA. Burrows made an appearance at the end of last season, coming on in relief against the Yankees.

This rotation is the team's strength and there's a lot of potential for success because of Skenes, Jones, Keller and the prospects that are waiting for their opportunity, but they can only do so much.