Pittsburgh Pirates DVOA, Stats, & MLB Rankings

Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes (side) is starting on Saturday afternoon. Hayes will cover the hot corner and bat at the top of the lineup. Hayes has been held out of action since the first week of the month due to left side tightness. Fantasy managers should continue monitoring his status, but seeing him return to the lineup suggests he will not be in danger of missing Opening Day. The 28-year-old is expected to be Pittsburgh's everyday third baseman. Last season, the former 32nd-overall selection posted a .233/.283/.290 line with four home runs and 11 stolen bases. He generated a low .279 xwOBA but showed a strong eye at the plate as he held an 18.9 percent strikeout rate. Hayes is known for being an elite defender which will keep him in the starting lineup. Fantasy managers should view Hayes as a depth corner infielder in deeper formats.

Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Paul Skenes was named the Opening Day starter. Skenes will face the Miami Marlins. The former first-overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft made his MLB debut last May and was one of the most valuable pitchers in fantasy. He tossed 133 innings and held a stellar 1.96 ERA and a 0.95 WHIP. He tallied strikeouts at an impressive 33.1 percent rate. He placed in the 97th percentile in xERA and 94th percentile in xBA. He also generated ground balls at an impressive 52.3 percent rate (89th percentile). Skenes was named NL Rookie of the Year. He tallied at least eight punchouts in 13 of his 23 appearances. Skenes will be viewed as a top DFS play on Opening Day as he will face the Marlins who are projected to have one of the worst offensive lineups in the National League.

Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Endy Rodriguez is expected to begin the season at the Triple-A level. Alex Stumpf of MLB.com noted that the team wants to give Rodriguez at-bats on a daily basis. With Joey Bart slated to be Pittsburgh's primary backstop, Rodriguez will be able to further his development with more playing time in the minor leagues. Last season, Rodriguez was only able to play in 10 minor league games due to an elbow injury. He made his MLB debut during the 2023 season and posted a .220/.284/.328 line with seven doubles and three home runs across 57 contests. He held a 17:49 BB:K. Through 77 career games at Triple-A, the 24-year-old has posted a .285/.362/.450 slash line with 19 doubles and eight home runs. He is worth monitoring in NL-only leagues as he should return to the majors later in 2025.

Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes (side) has resumed full baseball activities. Pirates senior director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk noted, "We envision him being available for game activity in the coming days as well." Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status but should expect him to return to the starting lineup very soon. Hayes has been dealing with left side tightness over the past two weeks. When healthy, he should have an everyday role as the starting third baseman. Last season, the former 32nd-overall pick held a .233/.283/.290 line with four home runs and 11 stolen bases. He generated a weak .279 xwOBA but showed a strong eye at the plate as he held an 18.9 percent strikeout rate. Fantasy managers should view him as a depth corner infield option that has more value in points leagues given his low strikeout rate.

Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Henry Davis is projected to be the team's No. 2 backstop on the Opening Day roster. Davis is a former top prospect but has yet to take the next step in the major leagues. He was selected with the first overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft. He made his MLB debut in 2023 and held a modest .214/.302/.351 line across 62 games. Then, in 2024, Davis appeared in just 37 games in Pittsburgh and had a lower .144/.242/.212 slash line. However, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com noted that given Davis' strong play in spring training, he has put himself above Endy Rodriguez and Jason Delay. During camp, Davis has held a strong .286/.348/.524 slash line with two doubles and one home run. The Louisville product has also seen time in the outfield which will provide the team with additional defensive flexibility. Fantasy managers in deeper two-catcher formats should monitor Davis' progression as he could be worth a late-round flier if he continues to produce in spring training.