Will Craig had been waiting with family and friends since MLB Draft pre-show coverage began at 6 p.m. Thursday night when something strange appeared on his television screen. He saw his name next to something that said he had been drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates with the 22nd overall pick, but the first reaction wasn't one of excitement, but, rather, confusion. "A pitcher? What?" Craig asked. The Wake Forest project, known for his power as a third baseman, was listed as a ... Read More
Column: Locke’s start sends mixed messages
The Pittsburgh Pirates did not arrive in Colorado until 4:10 a.m. Thursday morning for their game against the Rockies, a makeup which broke up a homestand because of a postponed April 28 contest. It was a long flight to Colorado and quite possibly a longer return flight following an 11-5 loss, which left Sean Rodriguez shaking his head back to the clubhouse. Jeff Locke took the biggest hit of all, especially to his Earned Run Average as he allowed 11 runs in 4.2 innings of work. Locke ... Read More
Pirates select Wake Forest’s Will Craig in first round of MLB Draft
With the 22nd overall selection in the 2016 MLB Draft, the Pittsburgh Pirates selected Will Craig, an ACC product from Wake Forest. Craig, a junior, was selected as a third baseman, but he's also listed as a pitcher on the university's athletic website. “I would love to thank all the Wake Forest coaches and staff members who helped me get where I am today,” Craig said in a statement. “Without them, I wouldn't be able to enjoy today nearly as much. I want to thank my teammates for being there ... Read More
Short bullpen costs Pirates extra-inning game vs. Mets
Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitchers Mark Melancon and Neftali Feliz have had great seasons, but their success in Tuesday's doubleheader came at a cost: Neither was available for Wednesday's game against the New York Mets. The Pirates' short-handed bullpen flinched, resulting in a 6-5 Mets victory in 10 innings. Cory Luebke (0-1) came in for the 10th inning and needed 21 pitches to get through it, but he allowed the game-winning run. To start, he allowed Yoenis Cespedes and Neil Walker to ... Read More
Draft preview: Pirates’ draft philosophy has changed under GM Huntington
In 2011, the Pittsburgh Pirates broke the MLB first-year player draft. They spent a record $11.9 million on that year's class, including $8 million on top pick Gerrit Cole and $5 million on second-round pick Josh Bell. The year before, they spent close to $9 million on top picks Jameson Taillon and Stetson Allie. Pedro Alvarez got $6 million in 2008. Basically, the Pirates spent so much the MLB had to cap how much teams can spend on draft picks. Pittsburgh still aimed high the ... Read More
Pitt baseball’s potential first-round pick T.J. Zeuch ready for MLB journey
Dan Marino, Tony Dorsett, Tyler Boyd, Steven Adams, Larry Fitzgerald DeJuan Blair … Allen Lachowicz? When you think of notable Pitt athletes, Lachowicz isn’t the first to come to mind. Drafted by the Texas Rangers with the 24th pick in the 1981 MLB Draft, Lachowicz is the last Pitt baseball player to be selected in the first round of baseball's draft. If all goes well, that could change Thursday with Pitt pitcher T.J. Zeuch. Zeuch, a 6-foot 7-inch 225-pound, 20-year-old junior ... Read More
Pirates sweep doubleheader against Mets
Doubleheaders always bring the potential of unique accomplishments, and Tuesday's contests between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the New York Mets brought some of those into play. Both games ended the same, a 3-1 Pirates victory giving the home team nine consecutive wins over the Mets, the most in franchise history. Often times in doubleheaders, relief pitchers appear in one game, but both Mark Melancon and Neftali Feliz appeared in each of the victories. Feliz allowed the lone run in Game ... Read More
Pirates’ Taillon can finally justify high selection
It might not have been on the level of Daniel Moskos over Matt Wieters. Still, the Pittsburgh Pirates drafting pitcher Jameson Taillon over shortstop Manny Machado in the 2010 MLB First-Year Player Draft created a heated dialogue, if not heavy scrutiny. The debate was understandable. Baseball America rated Taillon as its second-best prospect, with Machado right after him. At shortstop, the Pirates had the ever-forgettable Ronny Cedeno starting at the time. No one in the system appeared ... Read More
Pirates prospect Taillon to make MLB debut Wednesday
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
Which team got the better of the Neil Walker-Jon Niese trade?
Tonight, Neil Walker will walk into PNC Park in an unfamiliar role: outsider. And Jon Niese will pitch against a team that knows him all too well. In December, a trade between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the New York Mets sent shockwaves through both organizations. The Pirates sent beloved local boy Walker to the Big Apple in return for starting pitcher Niese, who had spent his entire career with the Mets. Now, in Monday night’s game, the two players will face their former teams for the ... Read More