Pittsburgh Pirates DVOA, Stats, & MLB Rankings

The Pittsburgh Pirates are expected to non-tender outfielder Bryan De La Cruz and first baseman/outfielder Connor Joe, according to a source. It will make both players free agents this winter. De La Cruz didn't impress the Bucs after the acquired him from the Miami Marlins at the trade deadline in the summer, as he hit just .200/.220/.394 with three homers, 17 RBI and 52 strikeouts in 168 plate appearances in the second half. The 27-year-old did manage a career-high 21 round-trippers in 149 total games in 2024, though, so he will attract interest on the free-agent market. Joe, 32, hit .238/.330/.396 with a .726 OPS, 20 homers, 78 RBI and five steals in 256 games the last two years in Pittsburgh and will look for a platoon/utility role with another organization on the free-agent market. The former first-rounder had a career-high 11 homers in 2023 in his first year in Pittsburgh.

Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Paul Skenes was named the 2024 National League Rookie of the Year on Monday evening. Skenes, last year's first overall pick out of LSU, debuted less than a year after being drafted and is a generational talent at the position. The 22-year-old went 11-3 with a 1.96 ERA over 23 starts in 133 innings for the Pirates this year, and his 170 strikeouts were a franchise record. His ERA was the lowest for a rookie pitcher with at least 20 starts in the live-ball era (dating to 1920) and the lowest of any pitcher in 2024 with at least 130 innings. Skenes' fWAR was 10th among big-league pitchers, and he was also named one of the finalists for the NL Cy Young, joining lefty Chris Sale and right-hander Zack Wheeler. Skenes is already one of the most dominant pitchers in the sport and will be a highly-coveted fantasy ace in 2025.

Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher was dominant in his short outing on Saturday and didn't allow a single runner on in his two innings of working during the Pirates' 9-4 win over the New York Yankees. Skenes finishes with a 1.96 ERA on the season with an 11-3 record and a strong case to win the National League Rookie of the Year award. The 22-year-old dazzled all season long and had 22 starts allowing just two ER or fewer. Fantasy managers of all leagues have been thrilled with his performance and he should certainly be a target to hold onto in keeper leagues. In 2025 he may experience some negative regression as his 1.96 ERA is paired with a 2.56 xERA, but his xERA still ranks in the 96th percentile. Should his numbers stay any bit similar to his 2024 season, and if he finishes the 2025 season healthy, he will contend for and likely win the Cy Young award.

Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitching prospect Mike Burrows is being promoted to the major league roster. In a corresponding move, the Pirates demoted right-hander Jared Jones to the Florida Complex League as he made his final start of the season on Friday evening. Burrows has spent the entire season at Triple-A Indianapolis and posted a 4.06 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, with a 15:45 BB:K ratio. The 24-year-old is not projected to start on Saturday or Sunday but could be deployed out of the bullpen over the weekend. Fantasy managers should expect Burrows to compete for a spot on the major league roster during spring training.

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder/designated hitter Andrew McCutchen is out of the starting lineup on Saturday against the New York Yankees in the Bronx. With McCutchen out, Bryan Reynolds is serving as the DH and batting second, while Billy Cook makes the start in left field and is hitting in the nine-hole against Yankees right-hander Luis Gil. McCutchen could use a day off with the season about to wrap up, as he's gone hitless in his last 11 at-bats with four strikeouts in three games played. The five-time All-Star and former MVP is batting only .232 (104-for-448) in his 16th year in the league, but he has reached the 20-homer mark for the first time since 2021 and has provided 50 RBI in his 120 games played for the Bucs. Reynolds clubbed two homers at Yankee Stadium on Friday night and will be a popular DFS pick against Gil, even though he has never faced him in his career. Cook has gone 9-for-41 (.220) with two homers in his first 14 MLB games this year.