Pirates Pitching Prospects Have Potential To Crack Starting Rotation

The Pittsburgh Pirates have an opening in their starting rotation with the recent trade of Luis Ortiz.

Pittsburgh has a solid starting rotation headlined by ace Paul Skenes. Behind Skenes are fellow hurlers Jared Jones and Mitch Keller. Ortiz solidified his place in the rotation at the end of last season but was included in the Pirates trade with the Cleveland Guardians for first baseman Spencer Horwitz.

The Pirates potentially could look to their top pitching prospects to close out their starting rotation, according to MLB.com’s Alex Stumpf.

“Last year, there was a starting opportunity in the rotation and Jared Jones took advantage of it with a huge Spring Training, earning a spot on the Opening Day team and keeping it,” Stumpf said. “That’s worth keeping in mind when looking at how this 2025 staff could look, especially regarding Bubba Chandler, the No. 15 prospect in baseball, per MLB Pipeline. There’s also Braxton Ashcraft (No. 85) and Thomas Harrington (No. 91) also waiting in the wings at Triple-A Indianapolis.”

“Dealing them doesn’t seem all too likely, nor them moving into the bullpen (though Cherington did acknowledge it is a path they could take). You need starter depth over the course of a season, and the Pirates have it. The question is do they want to keep them waiting in the wings, or is there a way to implement earlier in the season and maybe fill some holes?”

Chandler is the likeliest of the three to crack the rotation. The young hurler went 10-7 with a 3.08 ERA and 148 strikeouts across 26 games in the minor leagues last season. With all these top pitching prospects, the Pirates are positioned to have a great pitching staff for years.

More MLB: How Derek Shelton Reacted To Pirates’ Eye-Opening Trade With Guardians