PITTSBURGH -- The early returns for Oneil Cruz's move to center field have generally been positive, seeing him learn to take advantage of his speed and arm to create opportunities he may not have had at shortstop. His defensive work had even graded out well despite learning on the job,

This story was excerpted from Alex Stumpf’s Pirates Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

PITTSBURGH -- Joey Bart has shown he can clean up with some lumber in his hands this year. On Friday, he showed he can also clean up with a weed wacker. Bart was one of seven Pirates players and coaches who took part in cleaning up the three fields at

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The "splinker." Perhaps you've heard of it. It's the signature pitch for a guy whose fastball can touch 102 mph, to give you some context as to just how devastating his combination split-finger and sinker has become. But how did Pirates rookie phenom Paul Skenes learn the pitch, and when

Long before Reggie Miller and Peyton Manning became legends in Indianapolis, Razor Shines received icon status while playing Minor League Baseball for the Indianapolis Indians -- then a Triple-A affiliate for the Expos and Reds -- from 1984-89 and 1991-93. For what he accomplished in Naptown, the Indians are honoring

PITTSBURGH -- Despite the Pirates almost surely falling short of the playoffs and likely finishing with a similar record as they did in 2023, general manager Ben Cherington said Wednesday that he fully expects Derek Shelton will return as the club’s manager in ‘25. “I think there’s a lot to

Here at the Starting Pitcher Power Rankings, our season began with a Braves pitcher on top. Five-plus months and 12 polls later, with the regular season winding down, a Braves pitcher is back at No. 1. While would-be Atlanta ace Spencer Strider made only two starts before undergoing elbow surgery,

PITTSBURGH -- By Bailey Falter’s assessment, he had a “terrible” pregame bullpen Wednesday afternoon. The Pirates needed him to cover innings after taxing their relievers in a bullpen game the night before, so he decided to not think and just throw. “I came out there guns hot and told myself,

This story was excerpted from Alex Stumpf’s Pirates Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

We love the Arizona Fall League and can't wait to see several of baseball's best prospects face off against each other. The 30-game schedule begins Oct. 7, with the Fall Stars Game slated for Nov. 9 and the championship game for Nov. 16. Since the developmental circuit began play in

PITTSBURGH -- Andrew McCutchen got a hold of Adam Oller’s first-pitch fastball and sent it into PNC Park’s bleachers in the fifth inning Tuesday. If you wanted to check where most of his 319 career home runs landed, especially the 235 he’s hit while wearing a Pirates uniform, that area

Good pitching can be hard to find -- look at the flurry of activity at the Trade Deadline for evidence -- so clubs that can develop talents on the mound themselves can get a considerable leg up on the competition. Think of where the Phillies would be without homegrown talents

The Roberto Clemente Award, considered baseball's most prestigious individual honor for Major Leaguers, annually recognizes the MLB player who best represents the game through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions, both on and off the field.

Three years after playing high school football, Bubba Chandler remains a quarterback at heart. When MLB's No. 38 overall prospect watches live gridiron games, he can't help but break down defenses by watching safeties and identifying coverages. The two-sport high school star thinks through progressions while playing EA Sports College

PITTSBURGH -- In the home dugout at PNC Park after Paul Skenes' evening was done, Bailey Falter asked the rookie how many strikeouts he had on the evening. Skenes claimed to forget, so he started to add up the tally on the Kennametal strikeout counter, mouthing to himself. “Seven…eight…nine,” Skenes

PITTSBURGH -- Endy Rodríguez is about to be the happiest man in Altoona, Pa. After months of rehabbing from his offseason elbow surgery, the Pirates’ young catcher will be with the club’s Double-A affiliate this week to play in real games with the Curve. And yes, he’ll be behind the

PITTSBURGH – Billy Cook was playing Fortnite with former teammates in the Orioles’ system Saturday night when he got a call from Triple-A Indianapolis manager Miguel Pérez. He let it go to voicemail the first time so he could keep gaming, but the second time he called, Cook knew he

Welcome to Crooked Numbers, a monthly column dedicated to Minor League Baseball on-field oddities and absurdities. The edition, rounding up the month of August, features RBI explosions, epic sweeps, same-named individuals and, of course, much more. Keeping track of this type of thing is a team effort, so get in