Pirates' Future Arriving Steadily in 2026 Season

So many new faces are joining the Pittsburgh Pirates party in 2026.

As the team entered June, they began a six-game road trip. First, the Pirates are in Houston for three games. Next, Friday through Sunday, the Buccos make their first trip into Atlanta this season against the National League Eastern Division-leading Braves.

What I’m enjoying, beyond manager Don Kelly’s crew basically in a three-way tie for second place trailing the Milwaukee Brewers by 5.5 games in the National League Central Division, is the number of players being called up from Triple-A Indianapolis. Seeing them play during spring training, Pirates fans had a good idea of what to expect from those getting the call from the Indians.

The Pirates closed out May at 32-28. They swept the Minnesota Twins this past weekend at home. In the three games, Pittsburgh scored a whopping 25 runs.

When Joey Bart went down with an injury, Endy Rodriguez was summoned to Pittsburgh. You hope for the best during Bart’s rehabilitation, but when Endy arrived, you could easily sense an energy at the catcher’s position unmatched this season. Then there’s Jhostynxon Garcia, who came to the Pirates last December as part of a trade that sent pitcher Johan Oviedo to the Boston Red Sox, who has been fun watching in the outfield. He’s played in 10 games, covering all three outfield positions, and has registered six hits.

Seeing Esmerlyn Valdez get his shot to help the Pirates and build on his MLB resume is also encouraging. Just two seasons ago, Valdez was a member of the Bradenton Marauders of the Class-A Florida State League. The five games that Valdez has been inserted into have been a confidence builder for the rookie. Two home runs, including one roundtripper that he hit at PNC Park with his family present, and the other on the road in Toronto, along with getting acquainted with playing right field, have impressed fans.

Konnor Griffin, who made it up from Indianapolis in time for the Pirates' home opener, has banged 51 hits in 51 games and is hitting .270. No real surprise there.

Tyler Callihan isn’t disappointing either. The infielder, who the Pirates obtained in a trade with the Cincinnati Reds for pitcher Kyle Nicolas during spring training, has filled in nicely while playing second and third bases well.

Then there’s Nick Yorke flying the shuttle from Indianapolis, along with Billy Cook, to Pittsburgh. Have a glove and bat, will travel. Cook fills in, for now, as a pinch-hitter, a late-inning replacement in the outfield, pinch-running, and starting in a limited fashion at points this season.

One of the biggest moves executed by the Pirates was welcoming back pitcher Jared Jones after a lengthy rehab assignment that saw him miss all of last year’s season. In a corresponding move, by making room for Jones, the Pirates designated reliever Justing Lawrence for assignment. On Monday, Lawrence was traded to the Minnesota Twins in exchange for cash considerations.

In 23 games for the Pirates this season, Lawrence gave up 22 hits in 22 innings of work coming out of the bullpen. His 5.32 ERA left Lawrence in need of a fresh start with a different MLB club.

Who hasn’t been excited when Wiber Dotel, 23, first arrived on Pittsburgh’s 26-man roster in April? He’s been up and down, shuttling from Indianapolis to Pittsburgh. In six games with the Pirates this season, Dotel has a stingy 1.32 ERA. All his 13.2 innings of work have come in relief.

Brandon Bidois is among the 19 pitchers used so far this season. Bidois, 24, is from Brisbane, Australia. In 2025, the right-handed hurler jumped four levels in the Pirates’ minor league system. 15 games in relief with the Indians this spring, Bidois made his MLB debut. He has appeared in eight games so far this season for Pittsburgh.

The hard-throwing Hunter Barco appeared in five games for the Pirates before being dispatched back to Indianapolis. His 7.71 ERA needed to come down. In Indianapolis, now, Barco is twirling a very respectable 2.74 ERA. His time pitching at Triple-A is equally distributed between starting and relieving. He should be back up on the MLB level this season.

The Pirates’ future on display in the first two months of the season hasn’t been disappointing. With each game of experience on the big-league level, the “Baby Buccos” are preparing to lead the club to winning ways in the coming seasons.