When it comes to the goals of the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 2025 season, many of those can be reached with the continued growth of starting pitcher Jared Jones.
So much of the 2024 headlines for Pittsburgh ran through National League Rookie of the Year and Pirates ace Paul Skenes — and rightfully so. However, the team has a strong second starter behind Skenes in the form of Jones, who saw his impressive debut season sidetracked due to injury. Now that he’s healthy, Jones is in the driver’s seat to further establish himself alongside Skenes as the best 1-2 punch in baseball at the top of a rotation.
The 23-year-old hurler made 22 starts, finishing with a 6-8 record, 4.14 ERA, 132 strikeouts, and a 1.19 WHIP. Looking ahead to the 2025 campaign, FanGraphs projects the Pirates’ starter to make another step forward.
FanGraphs’ FGDC projections have Jones making 28 starts with 167 innings pitched. Over those 167 innings, the Pirates starting pitcher is projected to post a 10-10 record with a 3.91 ERA, 3.92 FIP, 2.5 fWAR, and 9.31 strikeouts per nine innings.
Jones’ 2025 season will be one to watch for Pirates fans.
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