Pittsburgh Pirates DVOA, Stats, & MLB Rankings

According to Andrew Destin of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Pirates right-handed pitcher Hunter Stratton (knee) still needs to "pass some hurdles," including running and field practice, before being viewed as a contender for a spot in the bullpen. Stratton ruptured the patella tendon in his left knee last August but still needs to progress before returning to the mound. Last summer, across 37 2/3 innings out of the bullpen, the 28-year-old held a 3.58 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP. He struck out 33 batters and showed stellar command with a 4.4 percent walk rate. He also generated a solid 3.29 xERA and limited hard contact with an impressive 31.3 percent hard-hit rate. If Stratton were to progress and return to action during spring training, he would likely have a role in the Pittsburgh bullpen.

According to Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Pirates right-handed pitcher Johan Oviedo (elbow) completed a bullpen session on Thursday. The 26-year-old missed the entire 2024 campaign due to Tommy John surgery. He underwent the operation in December of 2023 and has been viewed as a "full-go" for spring training. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his progress during camp as he could contend to make the Opening Day rotation. During the 2023 season, Oviedo posted a 4.31 ERA with a 1.37 WHIP across 177 2/3 innings. He held a poor 20.2 percent strikeout rate but was able to generate an above-average 44.6 percent ground-ball rate. If Oviedo can complete his recovery process during spring training, he will contend for a spot in the rotation alongside Bailey Falter and top prospect Bubba Chandler. However, given his low strikeout upside, he is best left for deeper NL-only formats.

According to Andrew Destin of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Pirates catcher Henry Davis (hand) was seen taking live batting practice on Thursday. The 25-year-old finished the 2024 season on the injured list with left hand inflation. However, seeing him take live BP just two days into camp is a great sign and suggests he should be a full-go for spring training. After posting a modest .213/.302/.351 line during his rookie campaign in 2023, Davis took another step back in 2024 as he posted a lower .144/.242/.212 slash line across 37 games. He tallied just four doubles and one home run. While he showed a strong eye at the plate with a 10.7 percent walk rate, he generated a weak .156 xBA. Given his struggles in the MLB, Davis will likely be competing for a spot on the Opening Day roster during spring training alongside Endy Rodriguez.

The word at Pittsburgh Pirates camp is that third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes (back) is feeling good entering spring training. PittsburghPG's Noah Hiles writes that he couldn't help but notice Hayes walking around on Wednesday with a big smile on his face. The 28-year-old fell apart in 2024 and played in only 96 games, slashing .233/.283/.290 with a career-worst .573 OPS, four home runs, 25 RBI, 11 stolen bases and 75 strikeouts in 396 plate appearances. However, his back injury was most likely to blame, and he didn't play for the Pirates past Aug. 17. Hayes has an elite glove at third base, so as long as he's healthy, he should see regular playing time. But for fantasy purposes, managers shouldn't be expecting much from a power standpoint given the injuries that he dealt with last year. Hayes' speed and regular playing time will make him useful in NL-only formats, but those in mixed leagues will be avoiding him.

Pittsburgh Pirates general manager Ben Cherington mentions Jared Triolo, DJ Stewart and Darick Hall as options that the Pirates will consider at first base now that Spencer Horwitz is expected to miss six to eight weeks with a wrist injury that required surgery. Those three players should see the most reps at first base in spring training with Horwitz sidelined, but Cherington also mentioned the possibility that there could be others that get work at first that aren't as familiar with the position. Cherington also said the team's focus right now is to keep left fielder Bryan Reynolds in the outfield. Triolo won a Gold Glove as a utility player in 2024 and is the most likely option to benefit the most from Horwitz's injury early in the season. However, he hit just .216/.296/.315 with nine homers and eight steals in 125 games in 2024 and probably won't move the needle much fantasy-wise, especially if he's in a platoon at first.