Pittsburgh Pirates DVOA, Stats, & MLB Rankings

Pittsburgh Pirates first base prospect Nick Yorke could make the Opening Day roster. Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette noted that with Darick Hall and Matt Gorski being assigned to minor-league camp, Yorke could have a path to making the roster. He also noted that infield prospect Billy Cook could also be in the mix as well. In spring training, Yorke has held a .233/.342/.300 slash line with a 6:10 BB:K. Last summer, Yorke made his MLB debut and tallied eight hits (with two home runs) across his first 11 MLB contests. In the minor leagues, he spent time at the Double and Triple-A level. In 78 games at Triple-A, Yorke posted an impressive .333/.420/.498 slash line with 25 doubles and eight round-trippers. If he were to make the roster, he would likely serve as a depth option in the infield and only be worth rostering in NL-only formats.

Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Jason Delay has been optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis on Tuesday. Delay was unable to make the big league roster after going 2-for-17 in 12 spring training contests. This isn't shocking news, but it does help limit down the catching competition in Pittsburgh. Joey Bart figures to have already made the roster as the primary catcher with Endy Rodriguez and Henry Davis still battling for the backup role. Bart is really the only one here with any fantasy value after putting together a breakout campaign with the Pirates last season. He hit .265/.337/.462 with 13 home runs and 45 RBI across 80 games last season.

MassLive's Christ Cotillo and Sean McAdam write that Boston Red Sox veteran left-handed reliever Aroldis Chapman appears to have become the in-house favorite to close out games in the ninth inning to begin the 2025 regular season. The quality of Chapman's stuff has stood out, despite the fact that veteran right-hander Liam Hendriks has corrected some of the command issues that plagued him early in spring training. Chapman isn't immune from command issues, either, but he's pitched much better than Hendriks this spring and is also a seven-time All-Star and two-time World Series champion that has 335 career saves over 15 MLB seasons. This news will be favorable for Chapman's ADP in fantasy drafts before Opening Day next Thursday, but don't forget that he walked 39 hitters in 61 2/3 innings a year ago in Pittsburgh. Chapman will still be a shaky fantasy closer with a likely short leash if he struggles.

Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Bailey Falter (general soreness) is scheduled to take the mound for Monday's spring training contest. The left-hander was scratched ahead of his start on Thursday due to general soreness. The team gave Falter a few days to rest and that appears to have helped as the southpaw is ready to take the mound again. Falter was a decent option for the Pirates last season. He posted a 4.43 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, and 97/45 K/BB ratio across 28 starts with the Pirates.

Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher David Bednar is expected to be the primary closing option for the team heading into the regular season. However, Pirates' manager Derek Shelton has made it clear that there isn't an official closer right now. The assumption is that Bednar will get the first crack at saves considering he's a two-time All-Star in that role. However, he struggled last season with a 5.77 ERA across 62 appearances. It hasn't gone any better for him in spring training with a 14.40 ERA across five outings. The right-hander could quickly be removed from high leverage spots if he continues to struggle early in the season. The team will likely use a committee approach if Bednar struggles, so there's no clear fantasy option right now.