Falter Least Known Pitching Success Story For 2024 Pirates

Bailey Falter remains an important piece to the Pittsburgh Pirates’ pitching puzzle this season.

What a season the Pirates are having.

Manager Derek Shelton’s crew is very much in the mix for a National League Wild Card berth. Call me crazy, but I refuse to concede that a Central Division championship isn’t in play. There is happiness on Federal Street in the “City of Bridges.”

Pitching is the club’s strength.

Mitch Keller, Paul Skenes, Jared Jones, and Luis Ortiz are the go-to arms leading the Pirates to an above-.500 win-loss record. They are heading into a homestand this past weekend with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

While Jones remains sidelined since early last month with a grade II lat muscle strain, veteran Martin Perez has been traded, and Marco Gonzales is looking to return to his successful form from his days pitching for the Seattle Mariners that secured a reported multi-million dollar contract this past off-season, it is Falter that has pleasantly been turning heads under baseball’s radar.

In general, as far as Falter’s first full season wearing Pittsburgh’s black and gold colors, its mission accomplished.

This past week, with the Pirates on the road in Houston taking on the Astros at Minute Maid Park, Falter’s return to the mound made for some exciting play. In his first start since July 6, coming off MLB’s injured list (IL) from what was reported as left triceps tendonitis, Falter threw as well or better than could have been expected.

In his return to the starting rotation, Falter earned his fifth win of the season. The Pirates' 6-2 victory in Houston saw the southpaw allow two runs (one earned), in 5 1/3 innings work. Now, with 18 starts in 2024, Falter is riding a respectful 3.95 ERA.

Good news is always, well, a good thing. When facing an imposing lineup consisting of Alex Bregman, Jose Altuve, and Jeremy Pena, and you can hold these sluggers and their teammates to just six hits, and on the road, it’s something to celebrate.

Obtained from the Philadelphia Phillies last August, Falter,27, has been performing just as the Pirates’ leadership had hoped. But, as talented as Falter is, it wasn’t a slam dunk that he was going to make the Opening Day roster in 2024.

Falter had to earn a spot on the pitching staff during spring training. He was too effective for Shelton or Bucs pitching coach Oscar Marin not to bring him north.

With recent additions to the Pirates’ pitching corps, Jake Woodford, who also joined the club in Houston, Jalen Beeks coming over from Colorado, and Josh Walker leaving the New York Mets and being sent to Triple-A Indianapolis, fresh arms are in vogue in southwestern Pennsylvania.

As his season is developing, those who know Falter aren’t surprised by his success. Baseball is his favorite subject to discover and talk about. From his days at Chino Hills (California) High School to listening to his dad, Darwin Falter, talk about Hall of Famer and former Los Angeles Dodgers pitching great Sandy Koufax, pitching has always been the center of his days.

A fascinating nugget of information provided in the Pirates’ media guide tells of Falter offering reports in classes on the many accomplishments of Koufax, arguably the greatest left-handed hurler in MLB history.

Every MLB club would pray for a continued healthy starting rotation, from the ace to the fifth starter – all season long. Given the physical demands on the shoulders, wrists, and other muscles and ligaments connected to the arms throwing the balls, breakdowns will occur at some point in the season.

Having Falter as a solid fifth starter, for now, is a bonus the Pirates and their fans are gladly applauding.