2026 Pirates Baseball promises not to be an ordinary season

Deals are being made. Ben Cherington is working on the phone to bring upgrades at several positions. Ryan O’Hearn is signed, sealed, and delivered for two seasons to play for the Pirates. Maybe O’Hearn is at first base, splitting time with Spencer Horwitz, or getting his licks as a designated hitter, or maybe manager Don Kelly rotates the former All-Star in the outfield. What a wonderful conundrum to have.

Lest we forget, the big bat, Cherington copped in a trade earlier this month that brought second baseman Brandon Lowe from the Tampa Bay Rays to Pittsburgh. 31 home runs and 83 RBIs last season, Lowe’s eight seasons with the Rays, including the 2020 American League pennant club that went to the World Series, is a huge welcome to the Pirates’ 2026 lineup.

In 2025, Oneil Cruz led the Pirates in long balls with 20, and Bryan Reynolds was the leader on the club in RBIs, driving in 73 runs.

Coming to Pittsburgh in the three-team trade (Pittsburgh, Houston, and Tampa Bay) with Lowe from the Rays are outfielder Jake Mangum and lefty reliever Mason Montgomery. Mangum is a “ball of energy” on the field. He has displayed the “hustle behind the muscle” to give Kelly reason to pause on where to shoehorn him into the lineup. Swiping 27 bases in 31 attempts and playing all three outfield positions for Tampa in his 2025 rookie year gives Kelly another reason to find a place to pencil Mangum on his lineup card.

Mason Montgomery, like Mangum, comes to Pittsburgh for the 2026 season from Tampa Bay. Experiencing his first full MLB season in 2025, the 57 games and 46 innings pitched, is much to be excited about with the addition of Montgomery to the Pirates’ bullpen. New Pittsburgh pitching coach Bill Murphy surely will work with Montgomery to lower the 5.67 ERA earned last season. At the same time, 63 strikeouts thrown must excite Pirates’ fans.

Gregory Soto, who last pitched in relief for the New York Mets in 2025, officially became a Pirate on December 15. Soto, a two-time MLB All-Star with the Detroit Tigers (2021 and 2022), signed a one-year contract. The left-handed reliever adds experience to an already crowded Pittsburgh bullpen.

Issac Mattson, Justin Lawrence, closer Dennis Santana, and Carmen Mlodzinski lead the list of pitchers under the guidance of bullpen coach Miguel Perez. The club’s starting rotation is both exciting and feared around the National League. Paul Skenes, Mitch Keller, Braxton Ashcraft, and two or three others should cause a high number of swings and misses from opposing batters.

Another young prospect, who if he doesn’t make the Opening Day roster should eventually see game action with Pittsburgh this coming season, is Jhostynxon Garcia. Obtained from the Boston Red Sox in the trade that sent Pirates’ starter Johan Oviedo packing to the American League club, Garcia has played left and right field. Garcia, an MLB Pipeline Top 100 Prospect, made the jump from Double-A and Triple-A last season, which landed him in five games with the Red Sox.

Finding playing time for all the new arrivals will be a chore for Kelly, who will begin spring training at Pirate City in his first full season as the club’s skipper. This is a good problem to deal with.

Cherington is likely to be still scouting for a starting third baseman. Alex Bregman is undoubtedly the top free-agent “hot corner” man available; however, Yoan Moncada, Eugenio Suarez, and Japanese slugger Kazuma Okamoto have also been linked as players of interest to the Pirates. Many of the Pirates from last season, who were seen as sure bets for the 2026 roster, may not be as sure a bet anymore.

The Pirates, as an organization, are trying to improve the club for the 2026 roster. It appears the club fully understands the frustration and urgency felt by its fan base to end the losing streak.

Stay tuned. A fresh start for the upcoming season is coming. More wheeling and dealing are promising for a successful 2026.