On the eve of the MLB Draft, the former No. 2 overall selection in the 2010 draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates will make his long-awaited debut at PNC Park, as pitching prospect Jameson Taillon will toe the rubber against the New York Mets in the finale of the three-game set in Pittsburgh. Crazy to think of how many people worked so hard with me and helped me on this journey! But, this journey is still just beginning! — Jameson Taillon (@JTaillon19) June 7, 2016 Taillon, who was drafted ... Read More
Pirates Kevin Newman living up to first-round billing
Kevin Newman might not have been the flashiest pick of the 2015 MLB First-Year Player Draft. He is a college shortstop who had never hit a collegiate home run. His ceiling might not be too high. He was the safe selection. Yet, the Pittsburgh Pirates first-round pick keeps producing. Newman’s .347 batting average is second in the Florida State League. He has even hit two home runs for Single-A Bradenton. The 22-year-old could be ready for a call-up to Double-A Altoona in the coming ... Read More
Cole’s pitching, offense leads Pirates to sweep of Diamondbacks
In a game that was expected to be a battle between two high-powered offenses and two high-caliber pitchers, the Pittsburgh Pirates completed the three-game sweep of the Arizona Diamondbacks with a 8-3 win in the series finale at PNC Park this afternoon. In the top of the first inning, the Diamondbacks got the scoring started early; however, it wasn't without a little help from the Pirates defense. On the second pitch of the ball game from Gerrit Cole, Jean Segura hit a foul pop up near the ... Read More
Pirates extend Cervelli’s contract through 2019
Was Francisco Cervelli going to be the next Russell Martin? For a while, it looked that way, as there were no talks of an extension between the Pirates and Cervelli in his contract year. That all changed on Tuesday afternoon, as the Pirates announced they have agreed to terms with Cervelli on a three-year contract extension that would keep the fan-favorite catcher in the city through 2019. The deal is believed to be for $31 million, according to Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports. Sources: ... Read More
Pirates fall in Game 1 of three-game set at Wrigley
Pittsburgh Pirates starter Francisco Liriano once again found himself in trouble early on in Game 1 of a three-game series against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. The 32-year-old yielded three home runs in the contest, leading to a 9-4 win for the Cubs, their fifth consecutive victory over the Pirates dating back to the 2015 National League Wild Card game. In the fourth inning, Liriano yielded a three-run home run to Cubs shortstop Addison Russell, who deposited his third home run of the ... Read More
Pirates’ Jonathon Niese an easy target but not solely to blame
At the end of Monday night’s game, Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Jonathon Niese's record stood at 3-2, but that doesn’t tell the story of the game. In the loss to the Cincinnati Reds at the Great American Ballpark, a place where he hasn’t fared well, Niese allowed three solo home runs, but each barely cleared the wall. Those home runs are outs in practically any other ballpark. Is it alarming that a ground ball pitcher surrendered three long fly balls? Sure. At the same time, though, ... Read More
How does Pirates’ Locke compare with other teams’ fifth starters?
The Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitching staff has had an adventurous start to the 2016 season. After posting the second-best ERA in baseball last season, the Pirates find themselves with a current ranking of 19th on the backs of a 4.21 staff ERA. The reasons for this are myriad, but the fulcrum of Pirates fans' angst continues to be Jeff Locke. For better or worse, Locke's career resume to this point has left him as the designated punching bag for fans. Though the optimism that permeates ... Read More
Hughes gives high praise to Pirates prospect Glasnow
Yesterday, it was announced the Indianapolis Indians pitcher Tyler Glasnow was named International League Pitcher of the Week. The award did not surprise Jared Hughes, who recently was with the Indians as part of his rehab assignment. “I really had never seen him before spending time with him in Indy," he said. "I’ve seen him in Spring Training, but that’s always tough to judge. Watching him in Indy was pretty impressive. It’s funny because he won player of the week but (Steven) Brault or ... Read More
Pirates prospect Glasnow named IL Pitcher of the Week
The Pirates say that Tyler Glasnow has to work on his control and consistency with his third pitch, a changeup. Glasnow seems to have taken note of their wishes and it showed on the field. Glasnow was named the International League Pitcher of the Week for April 25 to May 1. During that time, Glasnow whiffed 18 batters over 11 innings, while leading his team to two victories. On the season, Glasnow has 37 strikeouts, which leads Triple-A. Another week, another award! Tyler Glasnow is the IL ... Read More
Why Josh Harrison deserves the everyday 2B job
This offseason, the Pittsburgh Pirates were faced with change. An abundance of players moved on to different clubs, but one in particular had a way bigger impact amongst Pirates fans. On Dec. 9, the Pirates agreed to trade Neil Walker to the New York Mets in exchange for starting pitcher Jonathon Niese. This trade brought on a huge buzz amongst Pirates fans due to Walker's popularity in the city in which he was born and raised. However, as the 2016 season has gone on, the Pirates may have ... Read More