Carmen Mlodzinski DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Pittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton said that right-hander Carmen Mlodzinski will open the year as the team's fifth starter. Even with Jared Jones (elbow) starting the year on the injured list, neither Thomas Harrington nor Bubba Chandler will open the 2025 season in Pittsburgh's starting rotation, but we'll see how long Mlodzinski can hold them off. Fantasy managers shouldn't expect much from the 26-year-old Mlodzinski, who didn't have a single traditional start for the Bucs in his 40 appearances a season ago. He went 5-5 with a 3.38 ERA (3.36 FIP) and 1.18 WHIP with 46 strikeouts and 19 walks in 50 2/3 innings pitched. Mlodzinski was a reliable reliever for Pittsburgh last year after opening the season with an elbow injury, but he's displayed a modest strikeout rate and probably isn't anything more than a short-term option for the back of the team's starting rotation.

Pittsburgh Pirates right-handed pitcher Carmen Mlodzinski has been building up his workload to be a starter during spring training. Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette noted that there were discussions at the end of last season about Mlodzinski building up to a starter's workload for the next season. Last season, Mlodzinski made four starts (40 games) and held a 3.38 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP. He tallied 46 punchouts across 50 2/3 innings. He generated an elite 2.8 percent barrel rate and a 35.2 percent hard-hit rate, which were both well above the average marks. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor Mlodzinski's status during spring training, as he could compete for a role at the back of the Pittsburgh rotation. He will likely be competing alongside Bailey Falter and top prospect Bubba Chandler for a spot in the rotation.

Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Carmen Mlodzinski will serve as the opener for Friday's series opener against the visiting Tampa Bay Rays. This will be Mlodzinski's third time serving as the team's opener on the year. In his two "starts" in 2024, he's gone 2 2/3 innings while allowing no runs against the Minnesota Twins and Colorado Rockies, with his last start coming on June 14. The 25-year-old won't be a streaming option in fantasy, though, and will most likely be relieved in a bulk role by Luis Ortiz. In his second year in the big leagues for the Pirates, Mlodzinski has gone 1-2 with a 4.42 ERA and 1.36 WHIP with only 17 strikeouts and nine walks in his 18 1/3 innings pitched in 13 appearances. Fantasy managers can continue to ignore him.